Locals in Spain have covered their vehicles in clingfilm and tied them to lampposts to stop them being damaged or swept away by severe flooding in recent weeks.
And Brits holidaying or living in regions including the Costa del Sol and Valencia are now being urged to renew such drastic measures after new warnings were issued by Spanish weather service Aemet.
Coastal parts of Valencia were put under the highest red alert on Wednesday, with residents warned that up to 180 mm of rain could fall there within five hours.
The “extreme risk” warning, which signifies a serious threat to life from torrential rainfall, was also issued for Malaga, the Costa del Sol, Guadalhorce Valley and the Axaequia region.
In a post on X, Aemet said: “The danger is extreme. Avoid moving around as rivers could flood. Be very careful!”
Other parts of Spain including parts of Seville, Alicante, Cadiz and Huelva, have been put under less severe orange and yellow alerts ahead of anticipated heavy rainfall.
Valencia’s regional government also put restrictions on private car use in the areas worst hit by previous storms yesterday, according to the Associated Press.
Andalusian Minister of the Presidency Antonio Sanz said specific areas linked to the riverbank had been evacuated and called for “civic responsibility and maximum caution” from those impacted.
He also said the Spanish government had been told of the decision to secure the support of state security forces.
Flash flooding has wreaked devastation across the country since last month, killing over 220 people and destroying thousands of homes.
The UK foreign office updated its advice to tourists on the country’s Mediterranean coastline yesterday, telling them to follow instructions from local authorities while “severe weather and flooding” continues.
