Mum's nightmare as she's trapped with her toddler in deadly flood
When a powerful storm hit Spain, hundreds died as it became Europe's deadliest single storm flood in decades. A BBC1 documentary on tonight reveals what happened
Terrified as the water rose higher and higher, Rosalía Arena and her mother and two-year-old daughter took refuge on the top floor of her house. Outside, the river had burst its banks, cars were floating sideways and people were knee-deep in water. This was October 29, 2024, when a powerful storm hit the area around Valencia in Spain. Torrential rain fell on the hills to the west of the city, causing devastating flash floods. Across the province, 228 people died and it caused £15 billion worth of damage. It was Europe's deadliest single storm flood since 1967.
Why Cities Flood: Spain's Deadly Disaster (on Tuesday 24 June, BBC1, 9pm), with dramatic mobile-phone footage and compelling interviews, tells the story of what happened that day as flood water poured through streets, inundated houses and turned parked cars into lethal, floating projectiles. We hear first-hand accounts from survivors who had close escapes and discover from leading scientists how climate change and the places we are choosing to build could put many more people at risk of floods in the future.
Rosalía Arenas, a resident of Utiel, tells how they ran upstairs as water filled the ground floor to within inches of the ceiling. They were eventually rescued by boat from an upstairs window. Andries Klarenberg, from Paiporta, the town worst hit by the flood with 46 people fatalities, says: 'The pavements, the roads, everything was flooded with three feet of water, which was pushing cars down the streets, into buildings.' The film also asks why the authorities failed to protect people, with a slow response to the disaster that caused widespread anger.
Why Cities Flood: Spain's Deadly Disaster is airing on BBC1 tonight at 9pm.
There's plenty more on TV tonight - here's the best of the rest..
TRANSACTION, ITV2, 10.05pm
Noisy, bold and unafraid, this fresh new workplace is written and created by award-winning comedy performer Jordan Gray. Jordan stars as Liv, a transgender egomaniac, who drives her roommate Tom (Thomas Gray) absolutely mad. While Tom goes out to work at Pellocks supermarket, Liv lies around the flat painting her nails and watching telly. She's deadpan, sarcastic but secretly sad.
Meanwhile, Pellocks boss Simon (a brilliant Nick Frost) has accidentally offended the LGBTQ+ community with an ill-conceived marketing campaign. As protestors bang down the door, Simon realises that hiring someone transgender will prove the store's inclusivity - so Tom gives Liv a call, and she's soon drafted in on the night shift.
Not one to follow the rules, Liv quickly realises she's unsackable and sets about turning the store into her own personal playground, unleashing chaos on everyone and everything around her. 'Let the games begin,' she says. There are surprising moments of emotion, but mostly this is just late-night supermarket madness.
BAKE OFF: THE PROFESSIONALS, CHANNEL 4, 8pm
The main difference between watching this spin-off, compared to the non-pro version, is that you have to Google every other word. It's not a strawberry cake, it's a framboisier. A curd becomes a calamansi curd. Chocolate bcomes ganache. Biscuits are sable. Someone throws osmanthus into their pud and almost everything is infused with something else we've not heard of. It's a learning curve as top pâtissier experts Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden set tough tasks for these classically-trained chefs. No soggy bottoms, lumpy custard or split cream.
In this episode, they must make 24 identical classic framboisier slices and 24 reimagined s'mores. The s'mores must contain the chocolate, marshmallow and biscuit elements. 'If not, that will not be the only thing that gets toasted tonight,' says Cherish. There's plenty of panic, occasional swearing and tension as the teams race to finish while hosts Liam and Ellie steal cake, enjoying the leftovers. Who will the judges go gooey for?
EMMERDALE, ITV1, 7.30pm
John visits Vic to urge her to report Robert for hitting her. Robert overhears and is upset. He tries to distract himself with drinking and hook-ups, but his mood is brought down when Aaron has no reaction to this attempt to make him jealous. When Joe finds his car has been keyed, he's sure Billy is responsible and resolves to teach him a lesson. Belle convinces Vanessa to try to persuade Tracy to think again about barring the Dingles.
EASTENDERS, BBC1, 7.30pm
Kat visits Phil and suggests he needs extra support to care for Nigel, but he refuses. Later Phil is troubled to find Nigel with Lexi, who he has confused with Claire. Nicola decides to resurrect their family 'Half Christmas ' tradition, where they celebrate in June. She hopes it will cheer up Barney, but Harry is scathing. Yolande asks Jean to keep Patrick distracted while they make party arrangements. Joel is annoyed when his attempts to chat up Amy don't work out.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Mum's nightmare as she's trapped with her toddler in deadly flood
When a powerful storm hit Spain, hundreds died as it became Europe's deadliest single storm flood in decades. A BBC1 documentary on tonight reveals what happened Terrified as the water rose higher and higher, Rosalía Arena and her mother and two-year-old daughter took refuge on the top floor of her house. Outside, the river had burst its banks, cars were floating sideways and people were knee-deep in water. This was October 29, 2024, when a powerful storm hit the area around Valencia in Spain. Torrential rain fell on the hills to the west of the city, causing devastating flash floods. Across the province, 228 people died and it caused £15 billion worth of damage. It was Europe's deadliest single storm flood since 1967. Why Cities Flood: Spain's Deadly Disaster (on Tuesday 24 June, BBC1, 9pm), with dramatic mobile-phone footage and compelling interviews, tells the story of what happened that day as flood water poured through streets, inundated houses and turned parked cars into lethal, floating projectiles. We hear first-hand accounts from survivors who had close escapes and discover from leading scientists how climate change and the places we are choosing to build could put many more people at risk of floods in the future. Rosalía Arenas, a resident of Utiel, tells how they ran upstairs as water filled the ground floor to within inches of the ceiling. They were eventually rescued by boat from an upstairs window. Andries Klarenberg, from Paiporta, the town worst hit by the flood with 46 people fatalities, says: 'The pavements, the roads, everything was flooded with three feet of water, which was pushing cars down the streets, into buildings.' The film also asks why the authorities failed to protect people, with a slow response to the disaster that caused widespread anger. Why Cities Flood: Spain's Deadly Disaster is airing on BBC1 tonight at 9pm. There's plenty more on TV tonight - here's the best of the rest.. TRANSACTION, ITV2, 10.05pm Noisy, bold and unafraid, this fresh new workplace is written and created by award-winning comedy performer Jordan Gray. Jordan stars as Liv, a transgender egomaniac, who drives her roommate Tom (Thomas Gray) absolutely mad. While Tom goes out to work at Pellocks supermarket, Liv lies around the flat painting her nails and watching telly. She's deadpan, sarcastic but secretly sad. Meanwhile, Pellocks boss Simon (a brilliant Nick Frost) has accidentally offended the LGBTQ+ community with an ill-conceived marketing campaign. As protestors bang down the door, Simon realises that hiring someone transgender will prove the store's inclusivity - so Tom gives Liv a call, and she's soon drafted in on the night shift. Not one to follow the rules, Liv quickly realises she's unsackable and sets about turning the store into her own personal playground, unleashing chaos on everyone and everything around her. 'Let the games begin,' she says. There are surprising moments of emotion, but mostly this is just late-night supermarket madness. BAKE OFF: THE PROFESSIONALS, CHANNEL 4, 8pm The main difference between watching this spin-off, compared to the non-pro version, is that you have to Google every other word. It's not a strawberry cake, it's a framboisier. A curd becomes a calamansi curd. Chocolate bcomes ganache. Biscuits are sable. Someone throws osmanthus into their pud and almost everything is infused with something else we've not heard of. It's a learning curve as top pâtissier experts Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden set tough tasks for these classically-trained chefs. No soggy bottoms, lumpy custard or split cream. In this episode, they must make 24 identical classic framboisier slices and 24 reimagined s'mores. The s'mores must contain the chocolate, marshmallow and biscuit elements. 'If not, that will not be the only thing that gets toasted tonight,' says Cherish. There's plenty of panic, occasional swearing and tension as the teams race to finish while hosts Liam and Ellie steal cake, enjoying the leftovers. Who will the judges go gooey for? EMMERDALE, ITV1, 7.30pm John visits Vic to urge her to report Robert for hitting her. Robert overhears and is upset. He tries to distract himself with drinking and hook-ups, but his mood is brought down when Aaron has no reaction to this attempt to make him jealous. When Joe finds his car has been keyed, he's sure Billy is responsible and resolves to teach him a lesson. Belle convinces Vanessa to try to persuade Tracy to think again about barring the Dingles. EASTENDERS, BBC1, 7.30pm Kat visits Phil and suggests he needs extra support to care for Nigel, but he refuses. Later Phil is troubled to find Nigel with Lexi, who he has confused with Claire. Nicola decides to resurrect their family 'Half Christmas ' tradition, where they celebrate in June. She hopes it will cheer up Barney, but Harry is scathing. Yolande asks Jean to keep Patrick distracted while they make party arrangements. Joel is annoyed when his attempts to chat up Amy don't work out.
Edinburgh Reporter
11-06-2025
- Edinburgh Reporter
Look up tonight! Lunar Standstill
The full moon in every month of the year has an American nickname. In November it's called the Beaver Moon, in March the Worm Moon, and in June we have the Strawberry Moon. Most of the time these nicknames are just nicknames, but this year the Strawberry Moon will really look quite strawberry-like! Edinburgh residents should look to the South at 23:16 tonight to see the full moon starting to slowly rise above the horizon. It will look surprisingly large, but don't worry as the moon hasn't changed its size. It's just an optical illusion thanks to our brains seeing the moon so close to buildings. Importantly for strawberry-lovers it will also look peachy-pink, for the same reason that the Sun looks peachy-pink at sunset. Over the next few hours, the moon will skim over the southern horizon, from just east of south, to just west of south, before setting again at 04:19 in the morning. You won't see the full moon's path this low in the sky again before 2043. This rare event is know as the 'lunar standstill'. There is some lovely celestial dynamics going on. The Moon orbits the Earth once every 27 days, but its path is tilted at an angle of 5° relative to the orbit that the Earth takes around the Sun. This 5° is why we don't see a total solar eclipse for every new moon. Our beautiful planet is also tilted as it circles the Sun, which gives us the different seasons. During the longest day of the year, the summer solstice on the 21st June, the Sun is at its highest in our skies. When we see a full moon it's directly opposite to the Sun, and so the full moon that falls closest to the summer solstice will appear at its lowest elevation in the sky. The rare lunar standstill happens around the solstice when the moon is also at its most extreme point in its 5° tilted orbit. This only happens every 18.6 years and the further north you are, the better the view. So Edinburgh, do look up tonight! PHOTOS Local photographer, Tom Duffin captured the moon last night over Edinburgh, Inchcolm Abbey on its island, and the Forth Bridges. Tonight is another great opportunity to get the moon close to the horizon, coloured up by us viewing it through more of Earth's atmosphere, and looking big next to buildings and objects. Tom said: 'I'd suggest finding something with an obvious shape on your horizon to have the moon slightly behind, or at least very close to. If you have a tripod and a long lens then don't forget that the moon is moving pretty fast through your frame so choose a higher ISO than you normally would choose, but reduce the brightness of your settings too or you'll overexpose the moon surface details. 'The moon will rise at 149 degrees on your compass – roughly South East. If you can find a lit building then try and get the moon close to that and your exposure will be easier. Have fun out there.' ALL photos © Tom Duffin Like this: Like Related
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Telegraph
Ask the head gardener: My fruit trees have leaf curl – what can I do?
Dear Tom, We have two apple trees and a pear tree, but over the last few years we have been plagued with leaf curl, which has restricted our crop of fruit. Each winter we have pruned them and we've also given them a thorough winter wash, soaking the trees. They are pruned into a goblet shape and are well mulched, but to no avail. Is there anything we can do now to stop this happening again in the future? – Suzanne Dear Suzanne, It sounds as if you're doing everything humanly possible, Suzanne, to make these fruit trees grow successfully, but the fact that you've been experiencing leaf curl over several years and across both your apple trees and your pear tree is quite the conundrum. It's very difficult to say definitively why your fruit trees have curling leaves over successive years, but there are several reasons that we can explore. Probably the easiest answer, but equally the most frustrating, is to blame the weather. Stress caused by temperature, drought or even wind can cause leaves to curl on fruit trees. We've obviously experienced a very warm and dry spell, which may have caused some stress to your trees. You are training them into a goblet shape, so they are regularly pruned, and therefore you're creating lots of wounds all over the tree, adding to that stress level through water loss. However, the damage has been reoccurring over a number of years, which makes me think that this reason isn't in fact valid, because we had a particularly wet summer last year, so if the trees experienced the same level of leaf curl, there must be something else going on. A plant's response to an insect attack will be a curling of the foliage, especially the young leaves. Although there might not be any aphids present on the young shoots, if they have visited the tree previously and caused some damage, that will still cause those leaves to curl. Aphids and leaf-curling midges are two common pests that will attack fruit trees. When it comes to dealing with these pests, an oil-based spray such as SB Plant Invigorator applied on the shoot tips on a weekly basis throughout the growing season can keep their numbers at bay. As fruit trees become larger, this isn't always the most practical option, and it can be a costly one too. Encouraging lots of predators into your garden – for example, by introducing bird boxes to encourage nesting blue tits, as well as lots of habitats for predatory insects – may help to create more of a diverse ecosystem where predators can help control some of these pest numbers, if indeed that is the issue. Similarly, fungal attacks such as apple scab and powdery mildew can cause leaf curl on fruit trees. Powdery mildew will present itself as a white powder-like substance on the surface of the leaves, while apple scab tends to produce dark patches on the foliage. Fungicides are available from garden centres, but the practicalities of spraying on a larger tree can be very difficult. Targeting the very shoot tips on a weekly basis may help to control the issue if this response is due to a fungal attack. A final piece of advice that I can offer is that it may be down to a nutrient deficiency, which may explain the reason why all of the fruit trees are suffering, if they are planted in a similar area in the garden. If this damage is caused by a lack of nutrients, then the fact that you're mulching on an annual basis is certainly helping and probably reducing the severity of the problem. One of the most practical solutions would be to apply a handful of Vitax Q4 (a general fertiliser) once a month, around the base of your tree, concentrating on where the feeder roots are growing, rather than at the base of the trunk. Apply this fertiliser at a rate of a handful per square metre from March through until June. Switch to sulphate of potash from June through to September. Good plant health and a diverse ecosystem in the garden, including lots of predators, is what we should strive for. Plants aren't so different from us: if we're feeling a little rundown, we're more susceptible to colds and flu. Keep your plants in good health so that their immune system is buoyant, and they too can help fight off any pests or fungal diseases, as both insects and fungal issues tend to be more prevalent on weaker plants.
