Due to heavy rain in Barcelona, 70 flights were canceled at El Prat Airport on Monday, with 18 planes redirected to other airports, airport operator AENA reported.
AENA posted on social media X advising passengers to check their flight status with the airlines.
Yesterday morning, the rainstorm moved from the Valencia province, where it left 217 dead, to neighboring Catalonia. Water leaked through the airport roof, and passengers walked through the water with their luggage in the terminal, footage on Spanish public television TVE showed. Over four hours, 150 liters of rain per square meter fell, the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) stated.
Furthermore, suburban rail service was suspended yesterday in Catalonia, an autonomous region of 7.5 million people. Drivers were urged not to travel unless absolutely necessary after roads were blocked by water.
“The situation is bad,” a Croatian woman in Barcelona said.
By 1:00 p.m., the emergency service had received 2.136 calls from Catalonia’s residents, 269 of which came from the capital, Barcelona.
Roads in Barcelona were reopened in the afternoon, but three roads around the port city of Tarragona remain closed. Some hospitals in Catalonia canceled non-urgent appointments and procedures.
“Intense rains continue in Barcelona, Tarragona, and Castellon (in the Valencia province),” AEMET reported, urging residents to be extremely cautious.
