Flash floods kill 51 in southeast Spain, rescuers say

At least 51 people have died in flash floods in southeastern Spain, the regional government of Valencia said on Wednesday.

Some locations in southern and eastern Spain received up to 12 inches of rain in just a few hours on Tuesday.

Footage from the city of Valencia showed muddy water flooding through the streets, tearing down walls and sweeping away parked cars.

Valencia’s regional leader Carlos Mazón told reporters earlier on Wednesday that some bodies were found as rescue teams began to reach areas previously cut off by the floods, adding, “Out of respect for the families we are not going to give any more details.”

The death toll is expected to rise as authorities said the current figures are “provisional.”

Mazón also urged residents in the provinces of Valencia and Castellón to avoid travelling by road.

The Valencia area averages 77 millimeters (3.03 inches) of rain for the entire month of October.

Chiva, just east of Valencia, received 320 millimeters (12.6 inches) of rain in just over four hours, according to the European Severe Weather Database.

Flooding was also reported in and around the cities of Murcia and Malaga, with more than 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain falling in some areas.

The human-caused climate crisis is making extreme weather more frequent and more severe, scientists say.

As the world warms due to fossil fuel pollution, it’s driving more frequent and more intense rainfall events. Hotter oceans fuel stronger storms and a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture which it wrings out in the form of torrential rainfall.

Rainfall warnings continue through Wednesday for portions of eastern and southern Spain, according to Spain’s Meteorological Agency, AEMET, with the threat of heavy rain expected to continue through the end of the week.

This is a developing story and will be updated.