Severe weather alert in Spain. Photo: Shutterstock Spain’s national weather agency, AEMET, has issued severe weather warnings for Monday, October 19, and Tuesday, October 20, as torrential rain, thunderstorms, strong winds and rough coastal conditions threaten parts of the country.
AEMET’s warning was shared by airport operator Aena, urging people to follow the latest forecasts as weather conditions evolve. The highest, red-level alert remained in place on Monday morning for parts of the Valencia region, including areas of Valencia and Alicante provinces, where extremely heavy rainfall could cause serious impacts.
According to AEMET, some locations could receive up to 90 millimeters of rain in one hour, with accumulated rainfall potentially reaching 300 millimeters in less than 24 hours. The agency warned of possible flooding, sudden rises in rivers and streams, strong winds and rough seas along the Mediterranean coast.
The severe weather is associated with a weather system known as DANA Adam, bringing moist air from the Mediterranean and fueling intense, persistent rainfall across eastern and southeastern Spain.
As of Monday morning, the Valencia region remained under a red rain warning. Other parts of Spain were under lower-level alerts: the Balearic Islands and Catalonia had orange warnings for rain, while Andalucía, Murcia, Castilla-La Mancha, Ceuta and Melilla were among the areas under yellow alerts.
Mallorca’s red warning was downgraded to orange early on Monday.
AEMET said the heaviest rainfall on Monday was expected along the southern Valencia coast and around Cape La Nao, as well as parts of the Murcia and Almería coastlines and the Balearic Islands. Rain was also expected to move toward northern parts of the Valencia region and Catalonia during the day.
AEMET expects the overall instability to begin easing from Tuesday, October 20. However, strong or very strong showers could continue along parts of Spain’s northeastern coast and in the Balearic Islands, particularly during the first half of the day.
The warnings are relevant to residents and visitors, particularly those planning coastal excursions, road journeys or outdoor activities. Heavy rainfall can lead to flooded roads, sudden flooding in low-lying areas and disruption to local transport.
Aena’s alert post did not include specific flight cancellations. Passengers traveling through Spanish airports should still check directly with their airline and airport for operational updates, follow local authorities’ instructions, and avoid flooded roads or waterways.
AEMET advises the public to monitor its latest official weather warnings, as alert levels and affected areas may change as conditions evolve.