Record rainfall hits eastern Spain, with totals topping 600 mm and causing floods

Rainfall exceeds the annual average in a single day

The downpours were caused by a cold-core low known in Spain as a DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos).

In Europe, low-pressure systems that bring autumn and winter storms are given names. The system responsible for the downpours was named Adam, the first to be named this season.

Thunderstorms developed as cold air aloft interacted with warm air from the Mediterranean, and storm clouds repeatedly moved over the same areas. Because the low-pressure system was moving slowly, heavy rain persisted in the same locations along the eastern coast, bringing record rainfall.

According to observations by the Spanish Meteorological Agency, 24-hour rainfall totals through 9 a.m. local time on Monday (19) reached 620.6 mm in Pego, Alicante province, and 530.9 mm in Oliva, Valencia province. The torrential rain exceeded the typical annual rainfall of about 500 mm in just one day.

Rivers overflowed in several areas, inundating farmland and streets. Eight municipalities imposed bans on going outdoors, while damage spread along the coast. In Catalonia, in the northeast, a woman also died after being swept away by a river.