SPAIN has been pummelled by devastating freak storms and floods, with two people swept away by the water and one woman struck by lightning.
The catastrophic weather has seen streets filled with water and major disruption to transport across several regions.
Dramatic images shared online have shown the devastation inflicted by the elements across Spain.
Two people, a woman and a young girl, are reported to have been swept away by floods in the northeastern Catalonia region.
While firefighters have scoured the area at the weekend to find them, the search has since been suspended.
The pair are believed to have been swept away by the Foix River while attempting to cross a bridge in the coastal town of Cubelles, one of the areas most severely affected.
According to the town’s mayor, water flow had reached 200 cubic metres per second.
One video shared widely on social media even shows a water spout forming over the town.
In another incident, a woman in Valencia was taken to the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest when the tree she was using for shelter from the rain was hit by lightning.
According to sources from La Vanguardia, the woman was with her daughter, who has limited mobility, when the heavy rain started, prompting them to seek shelter under a nearby tree.
Spanish Prime Minster Pedro Sanchez urged citizens to follow “civil protection instructions” and take “great caution”.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in several communities with warnings for heavy rains and storms,” he posted on X.
It comes as Spain faced violent storms over the weekend.
Severe storm and hail warnings were issued across the country – and 100mm of rain fell in just one hour at a popular holiday hotspot.
Weather warnings were put in place across 25 provinces by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) on Satuday.
Many of these areas endured torrential downpours and flash floods, with roads becoming so waterlogged they resembled rivers in some towns.
In jaw-dropping images shared online, cars can be seen partially submerged trapped in murky water as the floods took their toll.
Spain’s rail company even suspended its Catalonia services on Saturday, DW has reported.
But while some areas battled rain and floods, a forest fire broke out near a popular tourist hotspot in the south.
The fire broke out in Mijas on Sunday morning and was brought under control by 7.25am, the Spanish Eye has reported.
Nine groups of forest firefighters and five fire engines were deployed to tackle the blaze.
Southern Spain was also struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 this morning.
The quake shook hundreds of towns and villages across Andalusia and the Levante.
It startling sleeping residents across the region and even collapsed parts of ceilings in an airport and a car showroom.
A worker at Almeria Airport told local outlets: “We heard some noises one after the other and then a loud bang and a great cloud of dust appeared.
“It was a real scare for us.
“There were airport workers having their first coffee of the day but luckily no one was injured.”
