The number of those killed in catastrophic flash flooding in Spain has soared to at least 205, as fresh weather warnings for rain prompt fears of further flooding.
The death toll rose significantly on Friday as rescue workers continued to search for missing people. 202 of those killed were in the hardest-hit region of Valencia alone.
Spain’s state weather agency, Aemet, has issued the most severe kind of weather alert in the south west of the country as the province of Huelva was hit by torrential rain.
Those impacted the worst by the flash flooding in eastern Spain are also expecting more rain, as yellow and amber weather warnings remain in place.
The country is in its second day of an official three-day national mourning, with flags at half-mast on official buildings.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez urged residents to stay at home as he warned devastation is “not finished” on Thursday and declared the worst impacted province of Valencia a “disaster zone”.
Key points
- Death toll in Spain floods rise to 205
- More rain expected in worst-affected regions
- ‘Terrified’ Valencia flood victim shows scale of devastation
- EU says 'catastrophic' Spain floods should serve as warning
Spain flood victim says her entire home was engulfed in less than 10 minutes
13:32
Athena Stavrou
A terrified Valencia flood victim has revealed the scale of the devastation after heavy floodwaters engulfed her home in a matter of minutes.
Alba Paredes Borja is from the Spanish town of Alfafar, one of the areas hardest hit by the deadly storm, where local authorities are calling for urgent help in receiving food, water and medical supplies.
“I’m terrified. Everything looks apocalyptic,” she told The Independent. The floods – known as the “cold drop” or DANA phenomena – have claimed 158 lives, including at least three people in the municipality, leaving the city in ruins and cut off from all communication.
Salma Ouaguira reports:
Latest pictures from Spain
13:11
Athena Stavrou
Anger grows over authorities’ handling of crisis
12:49
Athena Stavrou
As the shock dissipated, anger grew over the authorities’ handling of the crisis, both for their late warnings of the looming floods and the chaotic relief response.
Many survivors had to walk long distances in sticky mud to find food and water. Most of their cars had been destroyed and the mud, destruction and debris left by the storm made some roads unpassable. Some pushed shopping carts along sodden streets while others carried their children to keep them out of the muck.
Some 150,000 people in Valencia were without electricity on Wednesday, but roughly half had power by Thursday.
An unknown number did not have running water and were relying on whatever bottled water they could find.
The region remained partly isolated with several roads cut off and train lines interrupted, including the high-speed service to Madrid. Officials said it would take two to three weeks to repair that damaged line.
And with emergency personnel focused on recovering the dead, survivors were left to find basic supplies and clean up the mess. Volunteers joined locals in moving wrecked vehicles, removing junk and sweeping mud.
With local services clearly overwhelmed, Valencia regional President Carlos Mazon on Thursday asked if Spain’s army could assist with distributing basic goods to the population. The government in Madrid responded by promising to send in 500 more soldiers, more national police and Civil Guards.
Valencia opens temporary morgue
12:27
Athena Stavrou
A temporary morgue has been set up in Valencia as the death toll in the region continues to rise.
Vehicles and personnel from Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME) were filmed going in and out of the Feria Valencia building.
The death toll from the flash floods has now risen to 205, with 202 of the victims being in the region of Valencia alone.
Death toll soars to 205
12:06
Athena Stavrou
The death toll from the flash floods that destroyed eastern Spain has now risen to 205.
The new number marks a sharp increase in the last official toll of 158, with 202 of the victims being in the region of Valencia alone.
The tragedy is already Spain’s worst flood-related disaster in modern history, and the death toll is now the highest for a single country in Europe since Romania’s floods killed 209 people in 1970.
Satellite images shows vast destruction following flash flooding
11:36
Athena Stavrou
500 more soldiers deployed
11:26
Athena Stavrou
An extra 500 soliders are being deployed to the Valencia region to boost rescue efforts as many more people remain missing.
More than 1,000 Spanish soldiers were initially deployed when flash floods hit eastern Spain earlier this week, but more are set to join.
Spain’s defence minister, Margarita Robles, said on Friday. “Their missions include helping to dig out people who may be in basements or lower floors – unfortunately there are a lot of them – and helping to pump out water [from roads] to allow transportation so that food and water can reach certain populations.”
Early action can mitigate flood destruction, UN climate agency says
11:12
Athena Stavrou
Effective flood warning systems could help to avoid the level of destruction that has occurred in the Valencia region of Spain this week, the World Meteorological Organization said on Friday.
“We do need to ensure that the early warnings reach those who need them,” WMO official Clare Nullis told a regular UN briefing. “We need to ensure that early warnings lead to informed early action.”
Nullis declined to comment on whether Madrid had acted too slowly in warning residents about the floods, saying only that it was something that “Spanish authorities need to examine”.
Hundreds of volunteers go to help victims
10:53
Athena Stavrou
Hundreds of volunteers have been pictured walking towards the La Torre neighborhood to help people affected by the flash flooding.
Everything we know about Spain’s ‘catastrophic’ floods as images reveal devastation
10:29
Athena Stavrou
At least 158 people are dead after Spain was struck by the worst floods in recent memory that submerged towns, toppled bridges and cut entire communities off from the outside world.
The deadly floods left cars piled up like toys in streets, swallowed homes, and covered entire neighbourhoods in sludge and debris.
Muddy rivers swept away everything in their path – roads, houses and key infrastructure.
Thousands of people are still facing power and water cuts and shortages of basic goods, especially in the eastern region, the worst affected.
Here’s all we know about the devastating floods, the causes, and the scale of the impact.
Entire homes ‘disappeared’, says mayor
09:38
Athena Stavrou
Entire homes in the areas worst-affected by flash flooding have “disappeared”, a mayor of a small town in Valencia has said.
Chiva Mayor, Amparo Fort, told local media this morning that citizens needed more financial aid from the government as the full extent of the damage comes to light.
“Entire houses have disappeared,” she said. “We don’t know if they are with or without people.”
She added: “We continue to ask for food and water. We need milk, mashed food for babies and the elderly.”
Expat teacher in Spain still trapped after flood waters surround town and food runs out
08:56
Athena Stavrou
An expat teacher living south of Valencia in Spain says he is unable to leave his town due to being “surrounded by water” following flash flooding in the region.
John Fahy, 55, who lives in a seaside town called Cullera, also reported there being no food in the supermarkets, with no new supplies expected for a while.
“The army was only sent in two, three hours ago, because now they’re finding more bodies in garages,” Mr Fahy, from Dublin, said.
“We can’t leave our town because it’s flooded all around. There’s no-one in the shops in Cullera because there’s no food and there won’t be for a while.”
Weather warnings in place today
08:37
Athena Stavrou
There are a number of weather warnings in place in the areas hit by flash flooding - as well as more severe alerts in other parts of Spain.
In the province of Valencia - which saw the worst impacts of the flooding - there are several yellow and amber weather warnings in place. This means those most affected by the floods are expecting even more rain.
In the south west of the country a red weather alert has been put in place int the province of Huelva.
⚠️AVISO ROJO | Provincia de Huelva.
— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) November 1, 2024
⛈️Se están registrando lluvias torrenciales en localidades como Cartaya, con 117 l/m² en menos de tres horas. 70 de ellos en solo una hora. El aviso sigue activo, por ahora, hasta las 9:00
La #dana va a seguir provocando hoy tiempo adverso. pic.twitter.com/9fbyOAdTII
Pictures: Spain wakes up to another day of desperate searching
08:10
Athena Stavrou
Everything we know on Friday morning
07:45
Athena Stavrou
As Spanish rescue workers continue their search for those still missing in the worst flooding disaster the country has seen in modern history, here is what we know on Friday morning:
- The official death toll in now 158 - will 155 of those coming from the worst-hit province of Valencia.
- The death toll is expected to rise as an unkown number of people remain missing.
- Spain is in its second day of a three-day national mourning period. Flags are flying half mast across the country and a minute of silence was held on Thursday.
- Valencia has been declared a disaster zone.
Anger grows over authorities’ handling of crisis
07:00
Tara Cobham
As the shock dissipated, anger grew over the authorities' handling of the crisis, both for their late warnings of the looming floods and the chaotic relief response.
Many survivors had to walk long distances in sticky mud to find food and water. Most of their cars had been destroyed and the mud, destruction and debris left by the storm made some roads unpassable. Some pushed shopping carts along sodden streets while others carried their children to keep them out of the muck.
Some 150,000 people in Valencia were without electricity on Wednesday, but roughly half had power by Thursday.
An unknown number did not have running water and were relying on whatever bottled water they could find.
The region remained partly isolated with several roads cut off and train lines interrupted, including the high-speed service to Madrid. Officials said it would take two to three weeks to repair that damaged line.
And with emergency personnel focused on recovering the dead, survivors were left to find basic supplies and clean up the mess. Volunteers joined locals in moving wrecked vehicles, removing junk and sweeping mud.
With local services clearly overwhelmed, Valencia regional President Carlos Mazon on Thursday asked if Spain's army could assist with distributing basic goods to the population. The government in Madrid responded by promising to send in 500 more soldiers, more national police and Civil Guards.
In pics: Valencia before and after the devastating floods
06:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Violent weather event surprises regional government officials
06:00
Tara Cobham
The violent weather event has surprised regional government officials.
Spain's national weather service said it rained more in eight hours in the Valencian town of Chiva than it had in the preceding 20 months.
A man wept as he showed a reporter from national broadcaster RTVE the shell of what was once the ground floor of his home in Catarroja, south of Valencia.
It looked as though a bomb had detonated inside, obliterating furniture and belongings, and stripping the paint off some walls.
In Paiporta, mayor Maribel Albalat said Thursday that at least 62 people had perished in the community of 25,000 next to Valencia city.
"(Paiporta) never has floods, we never have this kind of problem.
"And we found a lot of elderly people in the town centre," Ms Albalat told RTVE.
"There were also a lot of people who came to get their cars out of their garages ... it was a real trap."'
Priority to find victims and missing people, says prime minister
05:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez yesterday said the government’s priority was to find “victims and the missing” so that “we can help end the sufferings of their families”.
At least 158 people have died in the floods that washed the eastern coast of Spain this week. Dozens are still missing with officials racing against time to find them.
“We are searching house by house,” Angel Martinez, one of 1,000 soldiers helping with rescue efforts told Spain’s national radio RNE from the town of Utiel, where at least six people died.
Watch: Elderly woman and baby airlifted to safety amid Spanish flash flooding
05:00
Tara Cobham
Weather warning for today
04:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Heavy rains continued as the Spanish weather agency issued more rain alerts for the southern coast of Valencia along with the Tarragona and Castellon regions.
Climate change is making extreme downpours in Spain heavier and more likely, scientists say
04:00
Tara Cobham
Human-caused climate change made Spain’s rainfall about 12% heavier and doubled the likelihood of a storm as intense as this week’s deluge of Valencia, according to a rapid but partial analysis Thursday by World Weather Attribution, a group of international scientists who study global warming’s role in extreme weather.
Monstrous flash floods in Spain claimed at least 158 lives, with 155 deaths confirmed in the eastern Valencia region alone. An unknown number of people are still missing and more victims could be found. Crews searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings Thursday.
World Weather Attribution said climate change is the most likely explanation for extreme downpours in southern Spain, as a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, leading to heavier downpours. The group noted its analysis is not a full, detailed attribution study, as the scientists did not use climate models to simulate the event in a world without human-caused warming.
Read more here:
‘Everything looks apocalyptic’, says Spain flood victim
03:49
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A terrified Valencia flood victim has revealed the scale of the devastation after heavy floodwaters engulfed her home in a matter of minutes.
Alba Paredes Borja is from the Spanish town of Alfafar, one of the areas hardest hit by the deadly storm, where local authorities are calling for urgent help in receiving food, water and medical supplies.
“I’m terrified. Everything looks apocalyptic,” she told The Independent. The floods – known as the “cold drop” or DANA phenomena – have claimed 158 lives, including at least three people in the municipality, leaving the city in ruins and cut off from all communication.
Salma Ouaguira reports.
EU says 'catastrophic' Spain floods should serve as warning
03:16
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Officials of the European Union cited the devastating flooding in Spain as a reminder of the self-harming effects of humans' destruction of nature.
European Commission envoy Florika Fink-Hooijer said the "catastrophe" in Spain's Valencia region highlighted the link between biodiversity loss and human-caused climate crisis.
"If we act on biodiversity, we at least can buffer some of the climate impacts," Ms Fink-Hooijer said at a press conference.
"At this COP we really have a chance to act," she added.
Floods demolish bridges and roads become floating graveyards
03:00
Tara Cobham
The floods have demolished bridges and left roads unrecognisable as they became floating graveyards.
Rushing water turned narrow streets into death traps and spawned rivers that tore through homes and businesses, sweeping away cars, people and everything else in its path.
Luis Sanchez, a welder, said he saved several people who were trapped in their cars on the flooded V-31 highway south of Valencia city.
The road rapidly became a floating graveyard strewn with hundreds of vehicles.
"I saw bodies floating past. I called out, but nothing," Mr Sanchez said.
"The firefighters took the elderly first, when they could get in. I am from nearby so I tried to help and rescue people.
"People were crying all over, they were trapped."
Watch: ‘Terrified’ Valencia flood victim shows scale of devastation
02:00
Tara Cobham
Spain floods mapped: Where are weather alerts in force?
01:00
Tara Cobham
Weather warnings are in force across swathes of Spain as further storms approach on the heels of devastating flooding which has claimed at least 158 lives – making it the country’s worst natural disaster in living memory.
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has warned that the devastation caused by flash flooding is “not finished” as he declared Valencia a “disaster zone” on Thursday. Urging residents to remain in their homes, he said: “Right now the most important thing is to safeguard as many lives as possible.”
Cities such as Valencia and Malaga were inundated this week after nearly a year’s worth of rain – close to half a metre – fell in just eight hours in some areas, leaving residents “trapped like rats” in homes and cars, as described by one desperate local mayor recalling the chaos.
My colleague Andy Gregory reports:
Crews search for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings
00:00
Tara Cobham
Crews searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings as residents salvaged what they could from their ruined homes following monstrous flash floods in Spain that claimed at least 158 lives, with 155 deaths confirmed in the eastern Valencia region alone.
More horrors emerged on Thursday from the debris and ubiquitous layers of mud left by the walls of water that produced Spain's deadliest natural disaster in living memory.
The damage from the storm late Tuesday and early Wednesday recalled the aftermath of a tsunami, with survivors left to pick up the pieces as they mourn their loved ones.
Cars were piled on one another like fallen dominoes, uprooted trees, downed power lines and household items all mired in mud that covered streets in dozens of communities in Valencia, a region south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast.
An unknown number of people are still missing and more victims could be found.
"Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles," Spain's Transport Minister Oscar Puente said early on Thursday before the death toll spiked from 95 on Wednesday night.
What caused the devastating flash flooding in Spain?
Thursday 31 October 2024 23:00
Tara Cobham
As emergency services continue their desperate search for those still missing in Spain, many are questioning what caused the devastating flash flooding which has killed at least 158 people.
Dubbed “the flood of the century”, rainfall on Tuesday saw wide swathes of southern and eastern Spain completely destroyed by torrents of muddy water.
With cars tumbling down streets in Valencia and village roads turned to rivers, the army was drafted in to assist in the ongoing rescue operation.
My colleague Athena Stavrou reports:
Farms ruined by rains as storms hit beyond Valencia
Thursday 31 October 2024 22:00
Tara Cobham
Greenhouses and farms across southern Spain, known as Europe's garden for its exported produce, were also ruined by heavy rains and flooding.
While the most suffering was inflicted on municipalities near the city of Valencia, the storms unleashed their fury over huge swaths of the south and eastern coast of the Iberian peninsula.
Two fatalities were confirmed in the neighboring Castilla La Mancha region and one in southern Andalusia.
The storms spawned a hail storm that punched holes in cars in Andalusia, while homes were left without water as far southwest as Malaga in the region.
Heavy rains continue as Spanish weather agency issues alerts and PM warns ‘stay home’
Thursday 31 October 2024 21:00
Tara Cobham
Heavy rains have continued farther north on Thursday as the Spanish weather agency issued alerts for several counties in Castellón, in the eastern Valencia region, and for Tarragona in Catalonia, as well as southwest Cadiz.
"This storm front is still with us," the prime minister warned. "Stay home and heed the official recommendation and you will help save lives."
Spain flood victim says her entire home was engulfed in less than 10 minutes
Thursday 31 October 2024 20:30
Tara Cobham
A terrified Valencia flood victim has revealed the scale of the devastation after heavy floodwaters engulfed her home in a matter of minutes.
Alba Paredes Borja is from the Spanish town of Alfafar, one of the areas hardest hit by the deadly storm, where local authorities are calling for urgent help in receiving food, water and medical supplies.
“I’m terrified. Everything looks apocalyptic,” she told The Independent. The floods – known as the “cold drop” or DANA phenomena – have claimed 158 lives, including at least three people in the municipality, leaving the city in ruins and cut off from all communication.
Salma Ouaguira reports:
Human-driven climate change fuelling extreme weather
Thursday 31 October 2024 20:00
Tara Cobham
The tragedy is already Spain's worst flood-related disaster in modern history, and meteorologists say human-driven climate change is making such extreme weather events more frequent and destructive.
In 2021, at least 185 people died in heavy flooding in Germany. Prior to that, 209 people died in Romania in 1970 and floods in Portugal in 1967 killed nearly 500 people.
Research group Climate Central said in a report on Thursday that a low-pressure system behind Spain's floods had tapped into an "atmospheric river" carrying excess moisture from the unusually warm Tropical Atlantic.
According to its Climate Shift Index: Ocean, human-caused climate change has made these elevated sea surface temperatures at least 50 to 300 times more likely.
Rescue teams continue to search for ‘dozens and dozens' missing
Thursday 31 October 2024 19:37
Tara Cobham
Rescue teams continue to search for those missing in the devastating flash floods in eastern Spain in what could become Europe’s worst storm-related disaster in over five decades.
The death toll from the extreme weather climbed to 158 on Thursday after a year’s worth of rain fell in eight hours in parts of the Valencia region two days before.
"There's a total of 158 people to which must be added dozens and dozens of missing," Angel Victor Torres, minister in charge of cooperation with Spain's regions, told a press conference.
Flood survivors say regional Spanish officials waited too long to warn them of the danger
Thursday 31 October 2024 18:49
Tara Cobham
Moments after rushing waters burst through the door to her home, Mari Carmen Pérez received a text message alert from regional Spanish authorities warning her of the possibility of flash floods.
By the time Pérez’s phone buzzed, the water has already gushed into her kitchen, living room and bathroom, forcing her and her family to flee upstairs.
“They didn’t have any idea of what was going on,” Pérez, a 56-year-old cleaner, said Thursday by phone from Barrio de la Torre in Valencia. “Everything is ruined. The people here, we have never seen anything like this.”
Read more here:
‘Cold drop’ and flood defences: What caused the devastating flash flooding in Spain?
Thursday 31 October 2024 17:33
Athena Stavrou
As emergency services continue their desperate search for those still missing in Spain, many are questioning what caused the devastating flash flooding which has killed at least 158 people.
Dubbed “the flood of the century”, rainfall on Tuesday saw wide swathes of southern and eastern Spain completely destroyed by torrents of muddy water.
The region is known to be particularly vulnerable to torrential autumn downpours, caused by a weather phenomenon known as the “cold drop” or DANA.
However, the destructive weather system is believed to be worsening in the wake of climate change, accumulating in this week’s flash flooding being the worst the region has seen in three decades.
From weather phenomena to flood defences: here is what may have accelerated Spain’s deadly flash floods:
Government advice on travel to Spain
Thursday 31 October 2024 17:04
Athena Stavrou
As of 31 October the UK’s Foreign Office (FCDO) travel advice said that journeys may be affected due to severe weather and flooding affecting many areas of southern and eastern Spain, particularly in the Valencia region and Castilla La Mancha.
The FCDO advises checking the latest weather warnings from Spain’s meteorological office before travelling and following the instructions from local authorities.
In terms of the Foreign Office’s general advice about travelling to a destination that has been impacted by flooding, they warn that the flood waters can cause devastation and loss of life. After a flood, they also warn that there is an increased risk of water-borne diseases and transport infrastructure can be severely impacted.
The European Meteorological Services advises to only travel if a journey is essential to the southern and northern coast of Castellón, as well as the northern interior of Castellón.
“Extreme or catastrophic damages to people and properties may occur, especially to those vulnerable or in exposed areas,” they wrote.
Spain floods mapped: Where are weather alerts in force as death toll hits 158?
Thursday 31 October 2024 16:38
Athena Stavrou
Weather warnings are in force across swathes of Spain as further storms approach on the heels of devastating flooding which has claimed at least 158 lives – making it the country’s worst natural disaster in living memory.
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has warned that the devastation caused by flash flooding is “not finished” as he declared Valencia a “disaster zone” on Thursday. Urging residents to remain in their homes, he said: “Right now the most important thing is to safeguard as many lives as possible.”
Cities such as Valencia and Malaga were inundated this week after nearly a year’s worth of rain – close to half a metre – fell in just eight hours in some areas, leaving residents “trapped like rats” in homes and cars, as described by one desperate local mayor recalling the chaos.
Andy Gregory reports:
Police arrest 39 for looting in wake of floods
Thursday 31 October 2024 16:13
Athena Stavrou
Spanish police have arrested 39 people for looting shops in the wake of flash flooding.
Thieves took advantage of the chaos sparked by the deadly flooding, with Spain’s national police sharing shocking images of a smashed jewellery store window alongside a large amount of goods taken by looters.
La @policia ha detenido esta noche a 39 personas en el marco de un dispositivo especial de prevención de la delincuencia puesto en marcha en torno a las zonas comerciales más afectadas por la #DANA
— Policía Nacional (@policia) October 31, 2024
➡️Se han recuperado multitud de efectos sustraídos pic.twitter.com/biAcSh5STU
Watch: 'Terrified' Valencia flood victim shows scale of devastation
Thursday 31 October 2024 15:35
Athena Stavrou
Death toll rises again
Thursday 31 October 2024 15:15
Athena Stavrou
The death toll in eastern Spain has risen again, as emergency workers continue their desperate search for survivors.
At least 158 people have been killed by the flash flooding - a sharp increase in the 95 people confirmed dead this morning.
155 of those deaths were confirmed in the hardest-hit region of Valencia.
‘I feel helpless,’ says woman searching for lost relative in Valencia floods
Thursday 31 October 2024 14:52
Salma Ouaguira
A woman is still searching for her lost relative amid the destroyed houses and flooded streets of Valencia.
As the waters recede, Marta Rodríguez Múria and her family hold onto hope that her cousin David can be rescued alive. The 32-year-old told The Independent: “The last we heard, he was driving to work.
“His car was found abandoned between Buñol and Chiva, but he’s vanished.”
Just moments before the storm struck, her cousin reached out to her aunt, calling for help as he was caught in the storm’s fury. They haven’t heard anything since.
She added: “We don’t know if he’s safe or if the water swept him away. My aunt is inconsolable. We’re all heartbroken, trapped in this nightmare.”
In Torrente, where she lives, people have been cut off from the outside world. Roads are destroyed, trains are canceled, and supermarkets are filled with panic buyers.
She added: “I’m left without food or water, and I can’t even pay for supplies because all the systems are down.
“We’re just waiting for a glimmer of news, something that tells us he’s safe. At this point, we just want to hear something—good or bad.”
Marta claimed people were not warned about the severe weather until it was “too late.”
She said: “I feel powerless. There should have been better warnings. People were sent to work as if there was no danger coming. The material damage is one thing, but many lives could have been spared.”
Death toll soars to 140
Thursday 31 October 2024 14:27
Athena Stavrou
The official death toll has risen dramatically to 140, Spain’s state-run news agency EFE has said.
The new figure is a sharp rise from the previous number of 95, reported this morning.
More from Spanish PM’s speech earlier
Thursday 31 October 2024 14:23
Athena Stavrou
Spain’s prime minister spoke earlier today as he visited some of the areas worst affected by this week’s flash floods.
He urged residents to stay vigilant as he warned the effects of flash floding are “not finished”
Speaking at the Emergency Services Coordination Centre in Valencia, Pedro Sanchez also declared Valencia as a disaster zone and raised the official crisis level to level two.
He told people affected by the flooding to stay at home, as many in the region brace themselves for more extreme weather today.
“We will not abandon the people of Valencia,” he said. “We will be here with you all the time necessary and deploying all resources necessary. Our priority, obviously, right now is to find victims, to find missing persons. Also, so that friends or family can really address the anxiety that families, victims and missing persons are going through.”
Climate crisis ‘worsened all 10 deadliest weather events’
Thursday 31 October 2024 14:03
Athena Stavrou
Climate change made the 10 deadliest extreme weather events over the past two decades worse, contributing to the deaths of more than 570,000 people, scientists have said.
Climate scientists said the finding “underscores how dangerous extreme weather events have already become” with just 1.3C of global warming above pre-industrial levels.
It also highlights the urgency of cutting the greenhouse gas emissions driving rising temperatures and more extreme weather, they said, as the world is currently on track for 3C of warming by the end of the century – a level recently described by UN chief Antonio Guterres as “catastrophic”.
More here.
Watch: Driver clings to car roof as water surges through roads
Thursday 31 October 2024 13:45
Athena Stavrou
Lammy sends condolences
Thursday 31 October 2024 13:27
Athena Stavrou
David Lammy has sent his condolences to Spain on behald of the UK government.
The
