Authorities in Spain have issued an urgent warning for heavy rain for various areas including Majorca, a holiday hub beloved by British tourists.
The Civil Protection and the Ministry of the Interior emergency service has urged the public to be cautious in the days ahead, with the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) forecasting heavy rainfall in the Balearics and the Mediterranean coast from Tuesday 12th until Saturday 16th, Majorca Daily reports.
From Tuesday, a mass of cold air is expected to move towards the southwest from northern Europe, which is likely to end up as an isolated depression at high levels or cold squall that will cause a generalised drop in temperatures, and saw the Balearics, Catalonia, Valencia and Aragon placed under a rain warning.
Meteorologists expect heavy rainfall in areas of the Balearics and the Mediterranean, and different parts of the Cantabrian and central peninsular regions.
The Balearics, the north of the Valencian Community and the coast of Catalonia are expected to see the heaviest rainfall, accumulating between 80-100 litres per square metre and amounts in excess of 200 l/m² locally.
Rainfall will affect the country throughout the week, Aemet says.
Residents and tourists alike should stay informed via official channels including the National Civil Protection Alert Network and the Aemet website and its social media channels.
Residents are warned that if it’s necessary to travel by road, travelling on main roads and motorways will be preferable.
In the case of rain, the public have been told to slow down, take extreme precautions not stop in areas where large amounts of water may flow, according to the Spanish daily newspaper.
If sudden storms and heavy rain occur, people have been told to take into account where vehicles are parked and avoid parking in areas affected by flooding.
Where there is a risk of flooding, the public have been told not to try to save their vehicles or drive through flooded stretches, and seek out the highest points in the area instead.
Civil Protection recommends people in the countryside stay away from rivers, torrents and low areas of hillsides and hills. It has also told residents of these areas to avoid crossing flooded fords, staying in high places including the tops of hills, ridges or divides.
Taking shelter under trees or near wire fences and metal objects has also been flagged as hazardous.
It comes after devastating floods hammered eastern Spain, with Valencia, a major city on the east coast, the worst hit.
The tragedy brought apocalyptic scenes with cars washing the through the streets and buildings destroyed. More than 200 people were killed and many others remain missing.
