Floods smash Spain resorts turning roads to rivers as huge lightning storms strike Benidorm & hail sends Brits running
Murcia, the region around Benidorm, has been lashed by wild weather just two weeks after thunderstorms hit the country and swept two away.
7
Water rushed along the streets of Moratalla
Credit: X / elmoya_07
7
Lightning cracked across the sky in Benidorm
Credit: TikTok / haynub3
7
Water gushed down the steps in Cieza
Credit: Instagram
Lightning cracked along the
Towns southwest of the city were the
Footage shows flooding in the streets of the idyllic towns with a torrent of water running down streets.
Murky brown water rushed along the streets of Moratalla while thick sheets of golf-sized hail balls blanketed Caravaca de la Cruz and smashed the windscreens of parked cars.
Basements and drains were flooded as the water moved through streets, promising locals a
Cops had to move parked vehicles which were in the path of rushing water as they risked being moved into the street or swept away and damaging what they hit.
The massive amount of hail froze in the streets making large piles of ice that needed to be smashed up by locals.
Wind gusted along the coast with La Manga del Mar Menor reaching speeds of 34mph.
Most read in The Sun
Further rain is forecast for the the Altiplano, Northwest, and Vega del Segura regions, and could see 30litres per square metre in an hour.
Hail measuring more than two centimetres across could fall, which combined with the rain, has lead officials to plan for more flooding.
Wildfires rip across Spain turning Madrid skies ORANGE as army deployed with fears wild winds will wreak havoc today
Forest fires also appear to have been lit by the lightning strikes with emergency services rushing to put them out.
Temperatures plunged 10C below normal just days after the same areas had seen hot temperatures.
Weather warnings were in place from 6am until midnight on Thursday but were wound down in Murcia on Friday morning.
Yellow weather warnings remain in place for the southern tip of the country around Gibraltar and some in the northeast for Catalonia and Menorca.
7
Rain lashed parked cars and threatened to sweep them away
Credit: Instagram
7
Huge chunks of hail frozen solid were left in the streets
Credit: Instagram
7
Those in Benidorm said it became a ghost town after the wild weather
Credit: TikTok / marina_marinina_benidorm
The area is expecting pleasant weather over the weekend - which will be perfect for those needing to clean up and dry out.
It comes just two weeks after wild weather smashed the same area with
Shocking footage showed cars being swept away, including down a river and over a ledge.
It comes as Cyprus has been hit by the worst wildfires in 50 years amid a 44C heatwave.
The country has plunged into chaos after two people were burnt alive and more than 70 houses were destroyed.
Read more on the Irish Sun
Dry hills could be seen burning as flames reached up into the sky and quickly spread through the shrub.
Homes were left torched despite the best efforts of firefighters.
7
A bulldozer is seen near flames during a wildfire in Omodos village, Cyprus
Credit: Reuters
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The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Horrified Brits reveal smouldering shell of Cyprus home torn apart by huge wildfire after fleeing with seconds to spare
THIS is the moment a British family returned to their smouldering home in Cyprus after it was destroyed by a deadly wildfire. Lucy, 37, and Ben Armstrong, 38, grabbed their toddler, packed a few bags and bundled their three dogs into the car as flames closed in on their village of Souni. 9 Lucy and Ben Armstrong fled their home in Souni, Cyprus with their toddler Ethan 9 The damage to the family's home, captured in drone footage shot by Ben, who is a filmmaker 9 The family hoped their home might be spared as their neighbours' homes were The Armstrongs, who tied the knot last October, have called the quaint village home for the past four years. When they first saw smoke curling over the Troodos mountains, they didn't panic - plenty of wildfires hit the Mediterranean island every summer . But this time was different. It was the worst wildfire Cyprus had seen in half a century. Two people were killed in a car trying to flee, and over 70 houses were destroyed amid a scorching 43C heatwave. The fires began on Wednesday afternoon and swept across 40 square miles in the south, mainly in Limassol District, where the village of Souni is located. Speaking to The Sun, Ben said: "We lost everything that day, there's nothing left. "We had fish tanks in the house and there was absolutely nothing left of what was in the water except melted glass on the floor." The couple described the stress of packing in the dark as the flames neared - made worse by the bad luck of experiencing a power cut that day. Most read in The Sun They told their son Ethan to stuff as many toys as he could into a bag while they raced around the house grabbing what they could. Ben said: "Our son is quite defiant at times and he was so compliant. "He was really scared, because he knew mummy and daddy were panicking, and we were in the dark." Two burned alive in Cyprus & another 10 killed in Turkey in horror wildfires Discussing the day their lives were turned upside down, Lucy said it was 'a normal day'. She first noticed the smoke while picking up Ethan from kindergarten. "As I was driving back on the motorway I could see smoke up the hills towards where we live," she said. "The smoke just kept coming, it started getting thicker, covering the sun and the sun was turning red." By around 7pm the family of three decided to drive up to a viewpoint at the nearby village of Kyvides. There, all they could see was "a stretch of fire and smoke". In that moment, the couple knew they had to evacuate fast and quickly alerted their close-knit community on WhatsApp . Ben said: "We didn't realise how little time we had. I'm a filmmaker and photographer, so was upstairs in the office packing all my gear and shouting down to Lucy, 'how's it looking?' "She was saying, 'it's glowing over the hills'. That's when I looked out the window, and thought 'oh my god, you can see flames now'. Adding to the stress, the Armstrongs had been without water or electricity for 24 hours. Ben said: "We were in the dark, so we had to make sure we were keeping an eye on our three-year-old son while running around and still trying to pack stuff. "So I gave him a bag for life kind of thing and told him to grab as many toys as he wants." 9 The couple had been living in the home for the past four years 9 Lucy and Ben believe their home could have been saved if there had been more firefighting support in Souni 9 The sheer destruction to the family's home They left the house just before 9pm, rushing to Lucy's parents home, which is a 15-minute drive away. "We all stank of smoke and were sweating. Ethan's also been quite ill from the smoke in the last couple of days. "I'm pretty sure he's had some sort of smoke inhalation - or it could just be from the stress of the situation," Lucy said. After a sleepless night, fearing they might have to evacuate again and unsure if their home had survived, Ben set out at 5am. "I followed his location the whole way up and my heart was racing," Lucy said, weeping as she recalled it. "I called him as soon as he got to our home and he said, 'Lucy, it's gone'. "All the other houses on our street were okay, so he had hope he was going to come up to our home and everything would be fine." Lucy, who runs a kids' entertainment business , lost at least £8,000 worth of bouncy castles and bubble houses in the fire. But what upsets her the most is that it's the place where they have "so many memories", including Ethan taking his first steps . The couple said four officials from the Cypriot government showed up on Friday morning, asking them to list everything they'd lost - from white goods and TVs to couches - to claim money from the disaster relief fund. While they said the Cypriot government has been "really organised" in terms of its reparation efforts, the couple believe there were not enough resources to tackle the wildfires. "We didn't see any firefighters in our village, no police , no army. No one told us to evacuate, we were telling people to evacuate," Lucy said. The government has particularly faced criticism by residents and community leaders over its evacuations in Souni and Lofou and Souni. Speaking on state radio on Thursday, Cyprus' justice minister Marios Hartsiotis said the firefighting and rescue effort had been 'enormous' and that he had witnessed first-hand the wildfires' "shifting winds and intensity'. Lucy and Ben, who were told by "brave neighbours " that their house burnt down at around 2am in the morning, believe that it could have been saved if there had been greater assistance on the ground. Lucy said there are other families in Souni who feel the same. But the couple are choosing to focus on the positives, saying they've been deeply moved by the kindness of their community. "You never think you're going to be one of these people that are in need of handouts," Lucy said. "But the Cypriot people are just so kind. I can't speak highly enough of them." She noted that Ethan's headteacher has given him clothes and is even buying him new shoes, while parents from the school have been keen to donate money. Christos, the owner of their local taverna, has opened up despite having no power or water, and taken it upon himself to feed the community, Lucy said. The family plans to eventually move back to the village of Souni and rebuild their home and their lives. Read more on the Irish Sun "We love the people in that area. It's a beautiful area, it will recover," said Lucy, adding that she hopes to organise re-planting fire-resistant trees. For now, with the village still reeking of smoke and memories of their destroyed home still raw, they're grateful to be living elsewhere - and to be alive. 9 The couple's burnt home 9 Burnt homes in Souni 9 Residents try to extinguish the blazes Credit: AP
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Ireland AM star shares scenic Kerry snaps as he strips down to soak up sun ahead of All-Ireland final
IRELAND AM star Deric Hartigan has shared a glimpse into his trip to Kerry ahead of this weekend's All-Ireland final. The celebrity weatherman has been documenting his travels across 2 Deric enjoyed a trip to Kerry Credit: Instagram 2 The weatherman shared a series of snaps from his trip Credit: Instagram Deric has been keeping his followers up to date on The He also posed shirtless in one snap while standing in front of a mountain and lake wearing just a pair of black shorts. Deric captioned his post: " Views and vibes in the Kingdom #Kerry." READ MORE ON IRELAND AM Fans and friends flocked to the comment section to share their love for his post. Teresa said: "Love the pictures, great place is Kerry." Angie wrote: "Yes please." Another added: "Lovely photos Deric." MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN The weatherman was recently left Deric stepped out of his comfort zone as he ventured to Emerald Park to celebrate ten years of the Cú Chulainn coaster. Deric Hartigan's fans say he's 'best' as he leaves Ireland AM stars Muireann O'Connell and Tommy Bowe in stitches During his time in the park, Deric was forced to face his fear and ride the iconic rollercoaster. The 45-year-old could be seen screaming his head off while sitting on the ride as Deric told them: "Guys it wasn't my finest moment. Now you know me right? I can get up on a horse, I can play polo, I can get into a tank and dress up as a mermaid, I can wear a TOP TV "That for me was very very tough. I suppose I was facing my fears here this morning. Did I look good?" Muireann replied: "Highly enjoyable." Deric revealed that his producer wanted him to go on the ride again and he refused saying: "No we are not doing it again Sinead - this is a one take wonder special." The presenter added: "But I definitely faced my fear this morning." Tommy remarked that the person sitting beside Deric looked like he was having a great time but looked worried that Deric was "going to get sick on him". Deric responded: "Oh he was nice and relaxed. I was the jittery one but anyway I loved it. I had great fun."
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Floods smash Spain resorts turning roads to rivers as huge lightning storms strike Benidorm & hail sends Brits running
THIS is the horror moment flash flooding smashes southern Spain turning roads to rivers and sending Brits running. Murcia, the region around Benidorm, has been lashed by wild weather just two weeks after thunderstorms hit the country and swept two away. 7 Water rushed along the streets of Moratalla Credit: X / elmoya_07 7 Lightning cracked across the sky in Benidorm Credit: TikTok / haynub3 7 Water gushed down the steps in Cieza Credit: Instagram Lightning cracked along the Towns southwest of the city were the Footage shows flooding in the streets of the idyllic towns with a torrent of water running down streets. Murky brown water rushed along the streets of Moratalla while thick sheets of golf-sized hail balls blanketed Caravaca de la Cruz and smashed the windscreens of parked cars. Basements and drains were flooded as the water moved through streets, promising locals a Cops had to move parked vehicles which were in the path of rushing water as they risked being moved into the street or swept away and damaging what they hit. The massive amount of hail froze in the streets making large piles of ice that needed to be smashed up by locals. Wind gusted along the coast with La Manga del Mar Menor reaching speeds of 34mph. Most read in The Sun Further rain is forecast for the the Altiplano, Northwest, and Vega del Segura regions, and could see 30litres per square metre in an hour. Hail measuring more than two centimetres across could fall, which combined with the rain, has lead officials to plan for more flooding. Wildfires rip across Spain turning Madrid skies ORANGE as army deployed with fears wild winds will wreak havoc today Forest fires also appear to have been lit by the lightning strikes with emergency services rushing to put them out. Temperatures plunged 10C below normal just days after the same areas had seen hot temperatures. Weather warnings were in place from 6am until midnight on Thursday but were wound down in Murcia on Friday morning. Yellow weather warnings remain in place for the southern tip of the country around Gibraltar and some in the northeast for Catalonia and Menorca. 7 Rain lashed parked cars and threatened to sweep them away Credit: Instagram 7 Huge chunks of hail frozen solid were left in the streets Credit: Instagram 7 Those in Benidorm said it became a ghost town after the wild weather Credit: TikTok / marina_marinina_benidorm The area is expecting pleasant weather over the weekend - which will be perfect for those needing to clean up and dry out. It comes just two weeks after wild weather smashed the same area with Shocking footage showed cars being swept away, including down a river and over a ledge. It comes as Cyprus has been hit by the worst wildfires in 50 years amid a 44C heatwave. The country has plunged into chaos after two people were burnt alive and more than 70 houses were destroyed. Read more on the Irish Sun Dry hills could be seen burning as flames reached up into the sky and quickly spread through the shrub. Homes were left torched despite the best efforts of firefighters. 7 A bulldozer is seen near flames during a wildfire in Omodos village, Cyprus Credit: Reuters
