Catalonia search for missing boy continues after unprecedented tropical storm

Search operations continue in Granollers, Catalonia, for Rami, a 12-year-old boy with autism who has been missing for nine days. More than 450 firefighters, along with specialized units including divers and drones, are participating in the search. The boy was last seen near the Hotel Ciutat de Granollers and his disappearance is believed to have been triggered by fear during recent torrential storms.

Meteorologists from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) have identified the recent extreme weather in Catalonia as a rare phenomenon. Experts describe the event as a case of pure tropical cyclogenesis in the Mediterranean, a process without known precedents in the region. Unlike typical 'medicanes,' this system developed from intense local convective storms fueled by high sea temperatures in the Balearic Sea. The storm caused historic rainfall, including 288 liters per square meter in Vilassar de Mar, leading to severe flooding and disruptions to public transportation.