Torrential rainfall in Spain has caused severe flooding and chaos in several ares of Zaragoza province, after heavy storms swept through the popular holiday region. More than 300 schoolchildren at summer camps had to be evacuated to safety following the extreme weather that saw five inches of rain fall in just one hour in some places.
In Nela, two camps housing 186 children aged 8 to 16, along with staff, had to be relocated to the Villarcayo de Merindad sports centre. 140 children in Loma de Montija were also forced to leave their camp and head to safety, amid fears they could be swept away by flood waters. The historic centre of Tarazona was submerged under water, after over three inches of rain fell in just 30 minutes.
Streets were turned almost instantaneously into torrents of raging water, sweeping away cars, cafe chairs and tables. Video images posted to social media show ground-floor residences and garages flooded with water and stranded vehicles.
Municipal crews reported over 30 flood-related incidents, including fallen trees and blocked roads, but fortunately no casualties. Five inches of rain fell in one hour in Grisén, leading to the closure of A-68 motorway due to flash flooding.
Local authorities were forced to activate emergency protocols and deploy the military to help deal with emergency situations. Soldiers from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) were sent to Tarazona, Boquiñeni, Pleitas, Pradilla de Ebro, Pedrola and Figueruelas.
The UME is a unit of the Spanish Army created to respond to situations of serious risk, catastrophe and public calamity.
The powerful storms left over 600 people without electricity in Pradilla and Boquiñeni, before engineers were able to restore power in the early hours of Saturday.
Hail up to 2 cm (0.8 inches) in diameter and gusty winds were reported in Calatayud, Daroca, and areas of Campo de Borja, intensifying impacts in the broader Aragón region. The government extended orange and yellow alerts into Saturday across Aragón and Catalonia for potential further storms, localised hail, and flash flooding.
The bad weather comes after an intense heatwave caused the mercury to soar as high as 46C El Granado at the end of June.