logo
Spain battles severe floods as cars submerged and roads turned to rivers

Spain battles severe floods as cars submerged and roads turned to rivers

Independent2 days ago
Showing now | News
01:06
Spanish tourist hotspots have been hit by severe floods and thunderstorms.
Footage shared by emergency services on Saturday (12 July), show Spanish streets transformed into rivers and cars submerged in water.
A disaster relief unit of Spain's military was deployed to the northeastern city of Zaragoza after severe storms caused flooding across the province.
Footage shared by the Military Emergencies Uni shows responders draining excess water and installing roadblocks to prevent further flooding.
Spanish weather agency AEMET said there was high potential for flash floods in eight provinces, including Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, and Castellón.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UK could see fourth heatwave of summer before torrential downpours and thunderstorms
UK could see fourth heatwave of summer before torrential downpours and thunderstorms

The Independent

time2 hours ago

  • The Independent

UK could see fourth heatwave of summer before torrential downpours and thunderstorms

Parts of the UK could see yet another heatwave by the end of this week, according to forecasters. Britons are also being warned of thunderstorms in places throughout the week, with the potential for 'torrential downfalls' over the weekend and possible weather warnings to be issued. Rain might be welcome for some, coming amid warnings from the Environment Agency that up to five more regions could be in a drought by September, with more hosepipe bans on the way. Much of the UK experienced a brief reprieve from the hot weather on Tuesday as the third heatwave of the summer started to come to an end. Temperatures exceeded 30C in several parts of the country and broke multiple records over the weekend. But just as Britons are recovering from the weekend's intense heat, the Met Office has revealed they should start bracing themselves for yet another potential heatwave. Meteorologist Tom Morgan told The Independent that Tuesday has been a 'much cooler and showery day', with much of the country seeing showers and rainy spells. He predicted a 'changeable' week ahead as well, but said that temperatures will 'rebound' from Tuesday to above average once again. On the question of a fourth heatwave, he said: 'From a technical point of view, there is the potential for some places to reach heatwave status. 'But it's not going to be anything like the most recent heatwave, which saw temperatures reach the high 20s or low 30s. 'Currently, we're expecting temperatures of 29C in south east England on Thursday and Friday, then it might well be 28C or similar on Saturday. 'Most likely, it's a few individual weather stations that reach the criteria for a heatwave... but that won't be for everyone, it will be a small minority of places where there is a technical heatwave.' The Met Office defines a heatwave as 'an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity'. In the UK, hot weather can only be classified as a heatwave if it meets a daily maximum temperature consistently for three days in a row, with the threshold varying across different parts of the UK between 25C and 28C. The peak of the last heatwave hit on Saturday, when Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales all recorded their warmest day of the year so far – with Scotland and Northern Ireland reaching temperatures they have not hit in years. Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire hit 30.8C while Achnagart in the Scottish Highlands reached 30.4C, Cardiff's Bute Park 30.2C and Castlederg in Co Tyrone 27.1C. A host of warnings were issued over dangers arising out of the hot temperatures. These included amber and yellow heat health alerts in place across England – warning of the potential for a rise in deaths – while fire chiefs urged people to stay safe over the increased risk of wildfires, with blazes breaking out in London, Surrey, and Perth in Scotland. But Mr Morgan offered reassurance that there is 'nothing like that on the way'. He said that 'there will be essentially fairly typical warm summer weather this week, as opposed to the recent weather where we've seen it hot and impactful', citing the uncomfortable sleeping conditions many have been complaining of. The summer's third heatwave saw a hosepipe ban come into force in Yorkshire, with similar restrictions issued for Kent and Sussex from 18 July following one of the UK's driest springs on record. Currently, three areas of the UK – Cumbria and Lancashire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire – are in drought. And millions more people could face these conditions across the Midlands and central southern regions this year, under the Environment Agency's reasonable worst cast scenario. However, Mr Morgan said the UK is set for a wetter week this week. Many Britons should brace for thunderstorms, he warned, with weather warnings potentially being issued in the coming days. The meteorologist explained that much of the UK should see 'dry, warmer weather' on Wednesday, before the end of the week becomes more showery. There is currently a fairly 'isolated' thunderstorm warning in place for Northern Ireland, a region that will again see a risk of thunderstorms on Thursday, he said. Then, central and southern England as well as Wales are all set for thunderstorms and 'really torrential downfalls' into the weekend. He said: 'There will be further thunderstorms in the week ahead and indeed the weekend. It is a warm, humid picture into the weekend... 'Anyone with outdoor plans should keep an eye on the forecast for the week ahead. 'There is the potential for weather warnings in the lead up to the weekend. 'It's looking much wetter, and potentially very wet in places, compared to the weekend just gone.'

New Spain rules that can cost Brits £5,992 at the border – it's an easy mistake that thousands could make
New Spain rules that can cost Brits £5,992 at the border – it's an easy mistake that thousands could make

The Sun

time4 hours ago

  • The Sun

New Spain rules that can cost Brits £5,992 at the border – it's an easy mistake that thousands could make

BRITS travelling to Spain face new rules that could leave them out of pocket at the border. Spain's Health Minister announced new rules meaning travellers heading to Spain are legally required to show proof of health cover as part of their travel insurance. 4 4 Spain is one of the most popular holiday destinations for British holidaymakers, with over 17 million tourists going there every year. New rules mean that British citizens will have to get some more paperwork in order to prove they have appropriate travel insurance, which could be checked at the border. Official Foreign Travel Advice on the government website for Brits has added that at the Spanish border you may need to show proof of travel insurance. It's been reported that checks are being made at Spanish borders and by transport providers. Anyone without the correct cover could be fined up to €6,900 (£5,992). During a recent update, Spain's Health Minister Carolina Darias said that this measure is to avoid additional strain on the Spanish public health system. In a statement, Carolina Darias said: "The health of our visitors is a priority. "We are committed to ensuring that all travellers, including British citizens, have the necessary coverage to protect themselves and the local health system." ABTA reported in May 2025 that a quarter of people who went on a holiday abroad in the past 12 months did so without travel insurance. It stated that "those most likely to forgo insurance are travellers aged 25-34, with two in five (41 per cent) admitting that they went on at least one trip uninsured in the past year". The Spanish region undiscovered by Brits despite seaside views and ancient Roman cities 4 Visitors must have fully comprehensive coverage in place with reasonable excess to cover costs. This is especially important if for anyone with pre-existing medical conditions. While it's not illegal to travel without insurance, it can be risky as travel insurance helps you to claim if you run into trouble while on holiday. Cover ranges from emergency medical treatment, assistance if belongings are stolen while you're away, or you have to cancel a trip due to death, illness or bereavement. Before you leave, you can look around for the best travel insurance policy, for example whether that's individual or for families. The cost will vary depending on what kind of holiday you go on too, whether that's high or low risk. That's not the only new rule in Spain, lots more have been put in place that could lead to fines - including drinking alcohol in a public place. Anyone seen drinking on the street, in parks, or on beaches could be fined up to €3,000 (£2,568). A new law was passed in Spain last year that gives local municipalities the power to fine anyone caught smoking on the beach. If a municipality does take up the law, anyone caught smoking on the beach can be charged up to €2,000 (£1,700) - so check before you go. And you can only wear swimwear on the beach or sunbathing as certain places in Spain have cracked down on wearing bikinis and trunks into towns and cities. Two popular Spanish destinations have strict rules on where you can wear swimwear - with fines for any rule breakers. Here are even more . And the eight golden rules for travelling abroad this summer. What should you look for in a good travel insurance policy? TRAVEL insurance policies can vary a great deal, but here are some "must have Medical expenses - A good policy will give cover of £1million or more for travel in Europe and £2million or more for the USA Repatriation service - The costs of getting you back to the UK for medical reasons should be covered automatically by your policy Cancellation and curtailment - A good policy will cover you for £2,000 or more if you have to cancel or shorten your holiday Missed departure - Covers additional accommodation costs and travel expenses up to £500 or more if you miss your flight due to circumstances out of your control Delay - You'll usually be covered for £250 or more if your travel plans are delayed due to circumstances out of your control Baggage cover - Covers you if your baggage is lost, damaged or stolen. Look for policies that have cover of £1,500 or more. 4

Uefa's faith in Switzerland pays dividends as fans flock to Euro 2025
Uefa's faith in Switzerland pays dividends as fans flock to Euro 2025

The Guardian

time4 hours ago

  • The Guardian

Uefa's faith in Switzerland pays dividends as fans flock to Euro 2025

The headline in SonntagsBlick Sport reads: 'Lia hier, Lia da, Lia überall.' It is not metaphorical; Switzerland's Lia Wälti is literally here, there and everywhere. From billboards and tram stops to produce packets and tourism adverts, the Arsenal midfielder is the poster girl of Euro 2025, the captain, the Champions League winner, the fulcrum of a team who captured the heart of the country as they set up a blockbuster quarter-final with the world champions, Spain. There were raised eyebrows when Switzerland was announced as the host country. The largest stadium is the 38,512-capacity home of FC Basel, St Jakob-Park, where the opening game and final are to be played. It felt like a step back from the 74,310-capacity Old Trafford, which hosted the opening game in 2022, and Wembley, which hosted 87,192 fans for the final between England and Germany. Was Switzerland the easy option, conveniently on Uefa's doorstep? Probably. However, if the group stage has set the tone, this tournament will be reflected upon as a roaring success. The group stage attendance record has been broken, with 461,582 fans piling in, and more records are set to tumble. Switzerland may lack a Wembley or Old Trafford but its small-to-middling-sized stadiums have overwhelmingly been full, locals and travelling fans captivated by a tournament they want to be a part of regardless of the fixture. Take Portugal's 1-1 draw with Italy in Geneva, for example, which had an attendance of 22,713 for a mid-group game between teams outside the top 10 of the Fifa world rankings. It is still valid to ask, given the pace of the game's growth year on year, whether the scale of the tournament could have been much much bigger, but it is impossible to quantify whether another nation would have so easily and readily embraced a tournament in its entirety. What we can say is that the Swiss, and the large contingents of travelling fans, have created a feel similar to the Olympics, where those who miss out on the 100m finals book in for the beach volleyball just to say they were there and to soak up the vibe. These are engaged Swiss fans too, not passively along for the ride, which is impressive given many of them have probably not watched a huge amount of women's football live. At the host nation's opening game, against Norway in Basel, the attendance was 34,063 but what was more impressive was the nature of the crowd. There was vocal support throughout, spearheaded by the supporters' group, with very few lulls in chanting, clapping and energy. The attendance record for a women's domestic match in Switzerland was set in March, when 10,647 fans watched Young Boys' women's team play Grasshopper at the Wankdorf stadium. The fan marches have set the tone for the support, with a peak of 14,000 (12,000 Swiss and 2,000 Icelandic) taking part in one such walk to the Wankdorf for the hosts' 2-0 defeat of Iceland. There have been issues too. Transport in some of the smaller cities, such as St Gallen, hasn't been ideal post-match after 9pm kick-offs; supporters have had trouble bringing water into stadiums despite high temperatures; there aren't enough women's toilets in some grounds; and sky-high prices have made it difficult for travelling fans to stay out. All are solvable issues, and it shows where costs have been kept low or there has been a lack of care in the detail. Big changes may be taking place in the stands, fanbase-wise, but on the pitch it is clear that although the gaps between Europe's elite and the next tier are closing as investment levels ramp up, they are far from being bridged. There are no surprises among the qualifiers for the quarter-finals, although perhaps only Spain and Sweden, despite showing they can be vulnerable defensively, have avoided an unconvincing performance. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion A sense of jeopardy, the feeling that no team are infallible, aids the drive to increase interest. The identity of the quarter-finalists has been predictable but from here all bets are off and that makes for an exciting tournament.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store