Torrential rain has triggered flash flooding across parts of Catalonia, trapping motorists, closing roads and rail, and prompting Spain’s national weather agency AEMET to issue its highest red alert for southern Tarragona.
The heaviest impacts were reported in the Terres de l’Ebre area, particularly the Montsià and Baix Ebre comarques, where streets in La Ràpita, Santa Bàrbara and Godall were inundated by fast-moving, muddy flows.
Videos shared on social media on Sunday showed vehicles and street furniture swept along by torrents that formed within minutes as intense downpours moved across the Ebro Delta. Catalonia’s Civil Protection agency urged residents to remain indoors and, where possible, move to upper floors if water entered buildings. The agency also pushed ES-Alert warnings to mobile phones in Montsià and later widened them to coastal and pre-coastal areas from Alcanar to Salou as conditions deteriorated.
By early Monday, Catalan authorities reported significant disruption to transport. Sections of the AP-7 motorway between Ulldecona and Freginals were closed due to flooding, alongside closures on the N-340 near Amposta and the C-12 at Tortosa. On the rail network, services on the R16 line were halted and one train was stranded at Ulldecona after tracks were submerged. Renfe suspended departures on the largely coastal Mediterranean Corridor between Barcelona and Valencia “until further notice” as rain bands continued to affect the region.
Emergency services reported a high volume of calls linked to vehicles and ground-floor premises taking on water. Overnight, the Fire Department stated it had handled hundreds of incidents across Montsià and Baix Ebre. As of the early hours of Monday, regional media cited officials saying firefighters had carried out at least 31 rescues—most involving people trapped in cars on roads, tracks or ravines. No fatalities had been reported at that stage. Later updates from the same regional coverage noted one serious injury (a broken hip from a fall) and 17 minor injuries.
AEMET’s red alert for southern Tarragona warned of up to 180mm of rain in 12 hours, with the potential for 90mm in a single hour in the Ebro Delta—thresholds consistent with flash-flood conditions in urban and peri-urban areas. Catalonia’s Civil Protection maintained the INUNCAT flood plan at high alert and advised the public to avoid travel and keep clear of rivers, barrancos and low-lying zones while the most intense cells passed.
Local authorities reported power interruptions and widespread property damage in the worst-affected municipalities. Mayors in Santa Bàrbara and Godall described the flooding as severe and indicated that heavy machinery would be required to clear debris and remove vehicles displaced by the flows. With the citrus and olive seasons approaching, councils also flagged potential impacts on agriculture, pending field assessments once conditions stabilise.
The weather system—identified in Spanish and regional coverage as linked to “Storm Alice”—has affected a wider swathe of the western Mediterranean in recent days. On the Balearic Islands, rainfall led to operational disruption at Ibiza airport on Sunday evening, with flights cancelled and terminal areas temporarily closed while standing water was cleared and power issues addressed, according to the airports authority. Mainland Spain also recorded travel disruption in parts of the Valencian Community as the same frontal activity tracked along the coast.
In Tarragona province, Civil Protection sent two ES-Alert messages on Sunday as rainfall intensified, the second broadening the advisory footprint beyond Montsià. Regional traffic authorities and emergency services continued overnight inspections to reopen primary routes where possible and to drain pooled water; some lanes remained closed into Monday morning to allow clearance and structural checks. Rail operator Renfe and infrastructure manager Adif said work to restore services on the affected sections was under way, with contingency arrangements dependent on water levels receding and inspections confirming track integrity.
Forecasts early on Monday indicated further showers, with the most intense rain bands expected to ease gradually. AEMET and the Catalan Meteorological Service kept warnings in force for parts of southern Catalonia while residual cells persisted. Authorities reiterated standard advice: avoid unnecessary travel, do not attempt to drive through flooded underpasses or fords, and monitor official channels for updates on road and rail reopening.
Sources: AEMET red alert and rainfall guidance; Catalonia Civil Protection and regional transport updates; local reporting from Ara on rescues, injuries and closures; and national/English-language summaries of travel impacts linked to Storm Alice across the Mediterranean coast.
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