Flights heading towards some of Spain’s major airports have been diverted as the country braces for the major Storm Alice to hit its Costa Blanca.
The holiday destination, known for attracting sun-loving Brits, was put on high alert due to forecasts of heavy rain and strong winds, with authorities cautioning about an ‘extraordinary danger’ on Friday.
Seven flights heading for Alicante-Elche airport were diverted on Friday, airport operator Aena said.
A graphic shared by flight tracking website Flighradar24 showed a number of planes circling around Alicante airport.
The operator also said 12 flights were cancelled on Friday due to the weather warning.
As for Valencia and Murcia’s airports, several flights have already suffered serious delays.
Spain’s weather agency, AEMET, announced on Thursday a red warning for heavy rainfall in Alicante, confirming the alert would start on Friday morning.
‘Extraordinary danger. Flooding and flash floods may occur. Follow the advice of civil protection,’ the agency wrote on X.
Rainfall totals could exceed 140 millimetres in 12 hours, especially in Valencia, the weather office said.
Flights heading towards some of Spain ‘s major airports have been diverted as a result of Storm Alice
AEMET, Spain’s weather agency, on Thursday issued a red alert for heavy rains in holiday hotspot Alicante
AEMET stated that the red alert would begin at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on Friday for Mediterranean coastal areas in Alicante and also in the adjacent Murcia region.
Other Mediterranean coastal regions are also expected to be affected, including the neighbouring province of Murcia and the Balearic islands.
AEMET said ‘very heavy and persistent rainfall’ was expected until Monday.
‘There is a high potential for local flash flooding in low areas, streams and gullies, making this situation quite dangerous,’ the agency explained.
The Balearic government revealed on Thursday that it has strengthened emergency services on the island of Ibiza, which was placed on an orange alert for rain and storms.
Emergency services on the island of Formentera are also preparing to act quickly and effectively in the case that rainfall causes flooding.
Heavy rainfall began lashing down on eastern Spain on Wednesday evening and is expected to persist throughout the week.
Tourists heading to Spain’s Mediterranean shores have been urged to monitor local weather updates and follow official guidance.
A person observes a car covered in plastic in Catarroja municipality, Valencia, Spain, 09 October 2025, as the region is under high alert due to Storm Alice.
Rainfall totals could exceed 140 millimetres (five and a half inches) in 12 hours, especially in Valencia, the weather office said
The warning comes nearly a year after widespread flooding in Valencia killed more than 200 people. Pictured: People work to clear mud and debris from a street in Aldaia, Valencia on November 5, 2024
The catastrophe sparked public fury over warning systems and the emergency response. Pictured: A view of wrecked cars stored in a junkyard outside Paiporta after they were damaged by flooding in Valencia, Spain on November 10, 2024
People walk past piled up debris in the flood-hit municipality of Catarroja, Valencia province, Spain, 05 November 2024
The weather forecast has forced authorities in the region of Murcia to evacuate a housing estate and close schools across 13 municipalities on Friday.
President of Murcia Fernando Lopez Miras called for ‘caution’ and warned residents that ‘the worst of the storm is expected [on Friday]’.
Authorities are taking heightened measures as the storm comes nearly a year after widespread flooding in Valencia killed more than 200 people, Spain’s worst natural disaster in decades.
The catastrophe sparked public fury over warning systems and the emergency response.
Residents continue to protest, accusing officials of having failed to provide timely alerts.
Heavy rains lashed the region again last month, forcing the closure of schools and universities, disrupting rail and road travel and causing localised flooding.
Because a hotter atmosphere holds more water that evaporates from a rapidly warming Mediterranean Sea, climate change increases the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall in the region.
Almost 240 people died in the country after torrential rains last October triggered floods that swept through eastern and southeastern Spain.
The most severely hit area was Valencia’s southern suburbs where more than 220 people died.
