One dead as heavy rains hit Spain, France
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Supporters standing while the rain floods the pitch before the French Top 14 rugby union match at Stade Mayol in Toulon, south-eastern France, on Sept 21.
PHOTO: AFP
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MADRID – At least one person died in Catalonia on Sept 21 after much of the region in north-eastern Spain was hit by torrential rains that disrupted rail and air travel, officials said.
Firefighters said they found a body in a river in the town of Sant Pere de Riudebitlles near Barcelona while searching for two people whose car was reportedly swept away by floodwater.
“The authorities are investigating whether it belongs to one of the individuals sought in the ongoing search, or if it is the victim of an unrelated incident,” they wrote on X.
Heavy rain also lashed neighbouring France’s south-east, causing power outages to around 10,000 homes and leading the Marseille airport to reroute about a dozen flights to land in other cities.
Officials also postponed various sports fixtures, including a football derby between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain, which was delayed until Sept 22.
An “orange alert” for storm and rain flooding had been placed in effect since midday, the prefect of the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region, where the city of Marseille is located, said in a statement on social media on Sept 21.
“Rainfall could reach 70 to 90mm in some areas and locally 120mm in a few hours,” the prefect said.
“These weather forecasts raise fears of heavy rainfall across the region between 7pm and 10pm, i.e. at the start and end of the match, which was expected to attract nearly 70,000 supporters to the Orange-Velodrome stadium.”
In Spain, firefighters rescued 27 people who were trapped in the Sant Joan funicular at the Montserrat Monastery, north-west of Barcelona, following a landslide, the regional civil protection service said in a statement.
Dozens of flights to and from Barcelona airport, Spain’s second-busiest, were either delayed or cancelled because of the rain.
Commuter rail service was temporarily stopped on some routes due to landslides and fallen trees.
Last October, torrential rains sparked devastating floods in the eastern province of Valencia
Because a warmer atmosphere holds more water, climate change increases the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall, according to experts. AFP, REUTERS
