Storms hit Catalan coast: ‘It was like a hurricane’

Emergency services said they received a total of 432 emergency calls reporting incidents as a result of the storm which hit the coast south of Barcelona between 4 and 6am.

The seaside towns of Sitges, Garraf, Casteldefells and Gava Mar were among the worst hit.

In some places, the roads were turned into rivers. 

 

First thing on Monday morning roads were closed around Casteldefells due to flooding and Renfe warned that there would be disruptions on the trains servicing the R13, R14, R15 and R16 routes due to flooding on the tracks.

Clean up teams were seen removing fallen trees and clearing up beach areas around Gava Mar.

Local reports said that some 40 litres of water had fallen per meter in half an hour in the Garraf and Penedes area.

British holidaymaker Julie Henry, her husband and two children were staying in an apartment in Gava Mar when they were woken by the storm around 4.30am.

“I've never seen anything like it, it was like a hurricane!” she told The Local. "Thank God we weren't camping!"