Orange alerts remain as Storm Adam unleashes torrential rain in Spain, killing at least five
Por Liam Gilliver — – World RSS Feed
Orange alerts remain as Storm Adam unleashes torrential rain in Spain, killing at least five
Spain’s weather agency AEMET has warned of rainfall and storm hazards persisting in popular tourist hotspots
Liam Gilliver Tuesday 20 October 2026 10:45 BST
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Helicopters were called in to rescue people stranded on rooftops as torrential rains from Storm Adam battered parts of Spain on Monday, triggering severe flooding, mass evacuations and at least five deaths.
The downpour cut off several towns along the Mediterranean coast as rivers burst their banks and transformed streets into fast-flowing torrents.
Spain’s weather agency AEMET said “exceptional amounts” of rain were dumped across the eastern part of the country, although conditions seem to be easing.
Pego, in Alicante province, recorded 632 mm of rainfall in 36 hours, while several locations in southern Valencia and northern Alicante exceeded 500mm over the same period.
The Valencian town of Oliva is among the worst affected, with rainfall of 600 litres per square metre in 24 hours. An estimated 600 people are reported to have received assistance at the municipal centre, with 400 locals spending the night there from Monday into Tuesday.
Storm Adam triggers ‘shelter-in-place’ orders
Red alerts were issued in several areas over the weekend, warning locals to avoid all travel and seek higher ground.
On Monday morning, 800,000 residents were under shelter-in-place orders. That was reduced to 87,000 in eight municipalities by late afternoon.
Ibiza suffered from severe flooding over the weekend, forcing its main airport to close twice.
On Sunday, the party island was placed under a red alert – the highest warning – after 60 litres per square metre of rain fell in just an hour.
The downpour caused a total of 27 flights to be cancelled, while 16 were diverted.
On Sunday night, a 55-year-old woman went swimming with a man at Almardà Beach in Sagunto, which is a 30-minute drive from Valencia, under an amber weather alert. She was later found dead at the nearby beach Canes d’en Berenguer.
Is Spain’s weather improving?
The worst of Storm Adam appears to have passed, with conditions improving in Valencia and Alicante – though local disruption may continue.
Stay-at-home orders have been lifted, and red weather alerts have been downgraded.
According to Spain’s weather agency AEMET, yellow “low hazard” warnings for rainfall and storms remain in place on Tuesday in the Catalonia region of Empordà.
Orange alerts have been issued in parts of the Balearic Islands.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit Valencia on Tuesday to assess the impact of the storm.
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