Latest Valencia flooding: British man among 95 dead in Span floods, dozens still missing

Climate change has worsened the 10 deadliest extreme weather events of the past two decades and contributed to the deaths of more than 570,000 people, scientists say.

Climate researchers said the finding “underscores how dangerous extreme weather events have already become” with global warming only 1.3C above pre-industrial levels.

It also underscores the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are driving rising temperatures and more extreme weather, they said, as the world is currently on track to reach 3C of warming by the end of the century – a level that was recently described as “catastrophic” by UN chief Antonio Guterres.

As rescuers continue to try to recover the dozens of people still missing, here's what we know Thursday morning:

– At least 95 people died after flash floods hit eastern Spain.

– Ministers have warned the death toll is likely to rise as there are “many missing people”.

– A 71-year-old Briton is also among the dead.

– Meteorologists predict further heavy rain for the affected areas.

– Rainstorms began on Tuesday and continued on Wednesday, triggering devastating flooding.

– More than 1,000 soldiers from Spain's emergency relief unit have been deployed to the most devastated areas.

– The main affected areas are the eastern province of Valencia and neighboring regions.

The Met Office warned half-term holidaymakers to expect heavy rain at Spain's east coast tourist destinations this week.

The National Weather Service said the threat of “significant flash flooding,” “frequent lightning” and “large hail” remained through the end of the week following heavy showers and thunderstorms.

The Met Office said: “Torrential rain and thunderstorms could cause flash flooding, landslides and significant disruption in parts of eastern Spain this week.”

“A further 250-350mm of rain is possible in some places through the weekend – the average for the whole of October is closer to 50-100mm!”

Flash floods turned streets into rivers, destroyed homes and killed at least 95 people in Spain's worst natural disaster in recent memory.

Torrential rain hit southern and eastern parts of the country, including the Costa del Sol region, where the city of Malaga is located, and Valencia in the east.

Rescuers waded through mud-colored water while cars and vans appeared stuck. More than 1,000 soldiers from Spain's emergency response have been deployed to the most affected areas.

According to the Spanish Meteorological Service, the city of Chiva, west of Valencia province, recorded 491 mm of rain in just eight hours, almost equivalent to a year's worth of rain.

Flash floods in Spain turned village streets into rivers, destroyed homes, hampered transportation and killed at least 95 people in the worst natural disaster to hit the country in decades.

According to the Energy Minister, almost 155,000 households in Valencia were without electricity. “All of Spain is crying with all of you… We will not abandon you,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the victims and their families in a televised address.

The disaster cannot be considered over and “we will use all necessary resources for as long as necessary so that we can recover from this tragedy,” he added.

A 71-year-old Briton has been confirmed as one of those killed in the flash floods.

The president of the Andalusian government, Juanma Morena, said the man died in hospital a few hours after being rescued from his home on the outskirts of Alhaurín de la Torre in Málaga.

He added that he suffered from hypothermia and died after several cardiac arrests.

Even for an era of more extreme weather, this fall appears to have kicked into high gear, particularly in a rain-weary Europe, where massive and deadly floods in Spain's Valencia region are the latest incarnation.

At least 95 people have died in flooding that has left cars piling up like flotsam on beaches, while an ocean away across much of the United States is experiencing a nearly rain-free October that has led to a sudden drought.

Scientists trying to explain what is happening, particularly amid a spate of deadly rainstorms in Europe, see two likely links to human-caused climate change. One is that warmer air stores and then releases more rain. The other is possible changes in the jet stream — the flow of air over land that moves weather systems around the globe — that produce extreme weather.

Spanish authorities fear the death toll will rise as other regions of Spain are yet to report casualties and search operations continue in hard-to-reach locations.

“We are facing a very difficult situation,” said Angel Víctor Torres, Minister of Territorial Policy.

“The fact that we cannot provide any information on the number of missing people shows the extent of the tragedy.”

Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years. However, nothing compared to the devastation of the last two days, reminiscent of the floods in Germany and Belgium in 2021, which killed 230 people.

Rescue workers and more than 1,100 soldiers from the Spanish emergency operations were deployed to the affected areas. The Spanish central government has set up a crisis committee to coordinate rescue efforts.

On Wednesday, the Spanish government confirmed there would be three days of mourning for the victims of the flash floods.

At least 95 people have died in the extreme weather that hit the Valencia and Castile-La Mancha regions on Tuesday.

Ángel Víctor Torres, the minister in charge of territorial policy, told reporters that the three days of mourning would begin on Thursday.