Madrid, Europe Brief News – Firefighters had to rescue people who were trapped in cars and homes after heavy rain caused flooding in Valencia, Spain.
The popular holiday destination faced travel disruption, with the airport having to close temporarily and trains being stopped.
It’s not the first time this year that the region in eastern Spain has flooded, the area saw record rainfall in May.
The storm, which began late on Friday, battered the eastern coastal region with high winds and heavy rain, with the downpour intensifying early on Saturday.
“Valencia airport’s runway is no longer operational after being hit by lightning. Repair work will start as soon as possible,” Spain’s airport operator AENA said on Twitter.
Spain’s air traffic control authority Enaire said all flights in and out of the airport had been suspended due to the storm.
“Heavy thunderstorms over Valencia airport have forced the suspension of all take-offs and landings,” it tweeted.
According to information posted by Valencia airport, at least nine incoming flights were diverted to alternative airports in Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza and Madrid.
Flights were initially halted after the runway was waterlogged, the regional emergency services wrote on Twitter, citing airport officials.
“Valencia airport has had to close the runway due to water accumulation, according to the airport’s operations centre,” it said.
