TORRENTIAL rain has hit the Mediterranean coast triggering flash floods and leaving tourists stranded. 

The extreme weather, driven by Storm Alice, has flooded streets, triggered emergency alerts and caused severe travel disruption.

Ibiza, Barcelona and Formentera are among the popular travel destinations affected.

At Ibiza Airport, air travel was temporarily suspended on Sunday evening after the flooding of a runway and parts of a terminal.

This led to at least 24 flight cancellations and delays and left travellers stuck in certain parts of the airport as others were closed due to power cuts and water leaks. 

READ MORE: WATCH: Cars abandoned and garbage bins float away as tourist hotspot Alicante floods – with RED ALERT Storm Alice swinging over the Costa Blanca

Other jet-setters were unable to reach the airport as the primary road leading to it was deemed unusable. 

Meanwhile, train services between Valencia and Barcelona – two major tourist hubs – were interrupted due to the storm. 

This suspension in train travel affected over 3,000 passengers, with many unable to find alternative routes because nearby roads were also closed due to floods. 

In Barcelona and all across Catalunya, tourist streets have been turned to mud and at least 18 people have been injured. Some drivers have also been trapped in their vehicles. 

The Balearic Islands have also been hit by the storm – in Ibiza over 100 incidents have been reported to the 112 emergency services, including flooded homes, fallen trees and road closures. 

READ MORE: Orange alert for heavy rain and storms for parts of Costa Blanca and Valencia

Yellow and orange weather warnings remain for Ibiza and Formentera until Tuesday where experts have warned that some spaces could see up to 50mm of rain within an hour.

A red warning has been issued in Valencia running until midnight where up to 100mm of rain per m2 could fall in an hour.

Civil Protection officials are urging residents and tourists to remain indoors as they warn that conditions could worsen in the next few days. 

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A MAJOR operation to remove accumulated biomass from Mar Menor beaches has seen 48 tons cleared up by Monday morning.

The Murcian government says 135 people are involved following DANA Alice which created significant water influxes and the movement of reeds and debris into the lagoon’s ecosystem.

Regional environment minister, Juan Maria Vazquez, checked on the progress at Isla Menores where he met with Cartagena mayor, Noelia Arroyo.

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The minister proclaimed: “The government is implementing an extraordinary response for as long as necessary, adapting measures at all times to orders of technicians and scientists.”

“Our aim to act quickly and effectively to minimise the effects of the rains on the ecosystem and restore normality to the Mar Menor area as soon as possible,” he added.

There were 90 operations in action on Monday removing material along the shores of the Mar Menor.

Cleaning crews were deployed on beaches at Los Urrutias, Los Nietos, and Islas Menores.

Since Saturday, 48 tons of biomass have been removed, mainly reeds and plant debris washed down gullies.

According to forecasts, the total volume of accumulated material could be five times higher than that recorded during last March’s heavy rain, when 886 tons were removed.

Juan Maria Vazquez said: “The magnitude of this episode is much greater, and we have been acting from the outset to remove all the material as quickly as possible.”

Work will continue over the next few days around the entire perimeter of the lagoon- depending on the prevailing currents that are moving the biomass around different points

The Mar Menor Scientific Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday to analyse the state of the lagoon’s ecosystem following DANA Alice.

The government is also running a flood cleansing operation involving 119 people and 16 trucks who are pumping out, clearing mud and street cleaning in San Javier, Los Alcazares, and San Pedro del Pinatar.

Since Friday, a total of 299 personnel, professionals, and technicians from various units of the Regional Ministry’s Forest Fire Defense Unit of the Region of Murcia (UDIF), specialszed in emergency response, as well as 65 vehicles, have been mobilized.

From Saturday onwards, 49 interventions have been executed, mainly consisting of pumping, cleaning, and sweeping- covering more than 37,000 square meters of urban areas.

Click here to read more Mar Menor News from The Olive Press.

A RED weather warning has been issued for Valencia with DANA Alice forecast to drop up to 100mm of rain on the region in just one hour.

The warning from state weather agency Aemet was scheduled to run until 3pm but has been extended to midnight- covering Valencia’s southern coast, including Algemesi and Gandia.

An orange alert is in force for the remainder of Spain’s eastern coast from Alicante to Barcelona as the slow-moving storm continues to batter the Mediterranean area.

Aemet is warning of extreme danger, including possible flooding and sudden surges.

The alert comes following Friday’s red warning which saw some parts of the region drop up to 200 litres of rain per m2.

The storm comes one year on from Valencia’s devastating floods that killed more than 200 people.

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