MADRID, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Torrential rains that swept across eastern Spain this week have left at least one person dead and caused flooding and transport disruptions in several regions along the Mediterranean coast.
Emergency services in the northeastern region of Catalonia said Thursday they had recovered the body of a man whose vehicle was swept away by floodwaters late Wednesday in Olivella, in Barcelona province.
The body was found around 500 meters from the vehicle, which had been caught by rising water in a stream, according to Catalan firefighters.
Emergency services received a report of the incident at around 11:03 p.m. local time Wednesday after a witness saw the vehicle being carried away by the current. A total of 11 firefighting units, along with a specialist underwater rescue team and drones, were deployed in the overnight search.
The death came as intense thunderstorms hit large parts of Spain's Mediterranean coast, particularly Catalonia and the eastern region of Valencia.
Spain's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) placed parts of Catalonia, Valencia and other eastern areas under orange weather warnings on Wednesday. On Thursday, the agency temporarily raised the warning to red in parts of the southeastern region of Murcia as torrential rain caused flooding around Cartagena.
In Valencia, the heavy rain flooded roads and disrupted public transport. Valencia Airport was temporarily closed on Wednesday evening, with 12 incoming flights diverted, while sections of the Metrovalencia network were affected by flooding.
The focus of the severe weather shifted southward on Thursday. Cartagena, in Murcia, recorded more than 60 liters of rain per square meter in one hour. It prompted the authorities to send emergency alerts to residents and suspend some rail services and classes.
AEMET spokesperson Ruben del Campo warned that very heavy downpours would continue across parts of Valencia, Murcia, Castilla-La Mancha and Almeria, with some storms potentially moving toward the Balearic Islands.
He said the rainfall was highly localized but could still have serious impacts because large amounts of rain were falling within very short periods.
