Catalonia battles severe rainstorms and flooding alerts
Intense thunderstorms hit Catalonia on August 8‑9, prompting the regional civil‑protection agency to reactivate the special flood‑emergency plan (Inuncat) and later deactivate it after the worst of the rain passed. The Meteorological Service warned of precipitation exceeding 40 L/m² in 30 minutes, especially in the Ripollès, Berguedà, Lluçanès, Osona and the western comarques. The storms generated 410 emergency‑call incidents to 112 and 218 alerts to the Catalan fire service, though no medical emergencies were recorded.
The heavy rain caused rapid river rises, leading authorities to intensify monitoring of river heads and issue safety recommendations, including avoiding flooded areas and limiting travel. Beaches in Badalona, Montgat and Sant Adrià de Besòs were closed with red flags due to bacterial contamination from runoff. Rail services on the Rodalies network were disrupted, with lines R13, R14 and R3 suspended while R1, R2 Nord, R11 and RG1 resumed. A hail warning was also issued for the western Catalan mountains, including Alt Urgell and Pallars regions, with risk levels marked high.
Overall, the weather event affected thousands of residents, disrupted transport, and triggered coordinated emergency responses across the region.
Entities: Adif (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias) · Agència Catalana de l’Aigua · Agència Catalana del Aigua (ACA) · Barcelona Fire Department · Catalonia · Jordi Valls (Barcelona City Council official) · Protecció Civil · Rodalies de Catalunya · Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya · Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (SMC) · Servicio Meteorológico de Cataluña · Trinitat Vella (Barcelona neighbourhood)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Inuncat alert was deactivated after river flows normalized and hydrological warnings were lifted. (Protecció Civil)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Catalan fire services logged 218 alerts related to the storm. (Bombers de la Generalitat)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Inuncat emergency plan was activated on 7 August for heavy rain forecast exceeding 40 litres per square metre in 30 minutes. (Catalan civil protection)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Rodalies line RL4 between Calaf and Manresa was suspended due to storm damage. (Rodalies de Catalunya)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The alert covered Ripollès, Berguedà, Lluçanès and Osona, later extending to western comarques. (Protecció Civil)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The emergency number 112 received 410 calls during the storm. (Protecció Civil)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Road N‑145 between La Seu d’Urgell and Andorra was partially closed after a rain‑induced rockfall. (Local authorities)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The emergency medical system reported no casualties from the storm. (Sistema d’Emergències Mèdiques (SEM))