A heavy hailstorm has swept through areas of the southeast of Spain, forcing the evacuation of residents and blocking roads.
In one of the worst hit towns, Caravaca de la Cruz, emergency services dealt with 82 incidents connected to hailstones, landslides and road blockages on Thursday, local authorities said.
Thick layers of hail piled up on pavements and roads in the town in the Murcia region, and reached depths of 20cm in some places.
Footage shared online showed residents wading through icy streets and clearing mounds of hail from their doorsteps just to get inside their homes.
In the townâs centre, two houses were evacuated due to the risk of collapse, with residents temporarily relocated to municipal facilities, the council said in a statement.
Local reports also said up to 20 people spent the night in a municipal sports hall after flooding made it unsafe to return home.
Meanwhile, local police closed traffic lanes near rivers and ramblas, which are dry stream beds that can quickly flood, to prevent accidents.
Local authorities and private contractors worked to clear debris and check buildings for damage, while engineers were sent to assess properties affected by flooding and structural concerns, the council said.
âThe situation is evolving favourably, but we continue to ask for maximum precaution,â the city council said, thanking residents who joined to clean up the aftermath.
The volume of rainfall overwhelmed the townâs drainage system, leading to flooding in commercial properties and basements.
Fast-flowing muddy water surged through the streets, turning roads into torrents and leaving some homes and businesses waterlogged.
Cafes and restaurants quickly emptied as people took shelter.
In nearby Calasparra, authorities raised the weather warning to orange for Thursday, warning of further storms between 6am and midnight.
The city council suspended all planned activities for the day, including events at the municipal pool, summer schools and an outdoor cinema night, and activated its emergency plan.
Meanwhile, Spainâs national weather agency AEMET has issued multiple weather warnings across the northeast and south.
An alert for the Barcelona coast warns of intense rainfall of up to 40mm in an hour, while other areas, including Girona and the Pyrenees, could see up to 20mm.
Storm warnings also include the possibility of hailstones less than 2cm in diameter.
In Cadiz, forecasters expect Levante winds to reach gusts of up to 50mph in the Strait and 44mph along the coast, with rough seas and waves up to 2 metres affecting coastal areas of Mallorca and Menorca.
Residents across the region were urged to stay away from streams, avoid unnecessary travel and secure anything outside their homes that could be swept away by floodwaters.
