SHOCKING footage shows cars being swept away and roads turned into rivers as flash floods strike Spain.
At least seven people are missing and one person has died after regions of Spain, including popular Costa holiday resorts, were battered by storms and torrential rain.
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The flooding has caused havoc, running from the provinces of Malaga in the south to Valencia in the east.
Videos shared by Spanish broadcasters showed floodwater rising into the lower levels of homes and even carrying cars through the street.
Drivers also posted videos showing the horrific conditions on the roads, with many either leaving their vehicles or coming to a halt as the storm rages around them.
A lorry driver has disappeared in L’Alcudia in the east coast province of Valencia and a number of people are unaccounted for in Letur.
Emergency services workers backed by drones were looking for six people are missing in the wake of flash floods in the town, the central government’s representative in Castilla-La Mancha told Spanish public television TVE.
“The priority is to find these people,” she added.
Flash flooding in Letur, considered one of the most beautiful places in the province of Albacete, also left around 30 people trapped in their homes.
Meanwhile, the entire province of Valencia – which has a resident population of nearly 5.5 million – were told they should avoid any travel this evening, as it was confirmed the storm had claimed its first fatality there.
The regional government responsible for the area said it had activated a Civil Protection ‘ES-alert’ warning designed to inform people in locations affected by an emergency or catastrophe through their mobile phones.
The man who lost his life lived in Massanassa on the outskirts of the city of Valencia.
Neighbours said he had got trapped in a lift as he went down to a flooded underground car park beneath his apartment to check on his vehicle.
The adverse weather is amongst some of the most extreme the country has faced in recent years.
In other places, rescue services used helicopters to lift people from houses and cars to safety.
And a high-speed train with 276 passengers derailed in the southern region of Andalusia, although no one was injured, the regional government said in a statement.
Twelve flights due to land at Valencia airport have been diverted to other cities in Spain due to the heavy rain and strong winds, Spanish airport operator Aena said.
Another 10 flights which were due to depart or arrive at the airport were cancelled.
Meanwhile, Letur’s mayor Sergio Marin described the situation as “catastrophic” as firefighters and police on the ground and in a helicopter searched for four people said to be “unaccounted for.”
The flash flood occurred around 1pm local time, causing water to enter homes in the town centre and washing away at least a dozen vehicles including a large white van which only came to a stop after it was smashed into a house and trapped between two walls in the raging water.
Mr Marin told Spanish TV: “We couldn’t have predicted anything like this was going to happen. It’s a major catastrophe.
“Emergency responders including a police helicopter are still searching for around four people who we haven’t been able to account for in the flood area.
“Some were in a vehicle and others were in their homes. There’s been a lot of damage but we’re just hoping everyone is okay and there are no personal casualties.”
Heavy rain caused a small river in the town of just over 1,200 inhabitants to flood its banks.
Elsewhere, in the Spanish city of Almería cars have been destroyed by giant golf ball-sized hailstones that fell from the sky as a violent storm passed over last night.
And one British expat watched aghast as cars became boats in the swollen River Guadalhorce in Alora near Malaga.
As the two vehicles were carried away bobbing up and down in the water, he said: “Oh my God” before adding sarcastically: “That is our tiny little river now.”
Two people had to be rescued by firefighters using ropes to guide them through the flood water after becoming trapped in their caravan in a rural property near the town of Pizarra around 20 miles from Malaga.
An emergency rescue coordination centre for Malaga province said it had recorded nearly 300 incidents since the storm began last night.
Storms are forecast to continue through the week until Thursday, according to the country’s weather service.
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