Flood alerts, school closures and high waves in Catalonia on second day of intense eastern storm

Catalonia woke up on Tuesday to a second consecutive day of severe weather after a storm system left heavy rainfall on Monday, with more than 105 litres per square metre recorded in parts of Girona and waves exceeding six metres along the coast.

The storm was expected to intensify throughout Tuesday, prompting authorities to remain on high alert. The episode, known in Catalan as a 'llevantada,' is a typical weather phenomenon marked by strong easterly winds and very intense rainfall.

The 'llevantada' is forecast to be particularly severe in the eastern half of the territory, especially along the coastal and pre-coastal areas.

To alert the population, Civil Protection issued an emergency mobile phone alert to all residents in the counties of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà, Selva and Gironès, warning of the risk of flooding and rising river levels.

Authorities urged people to limit travel until 5 pm and to stay away from rivers, streams and ravines, as well as underground areas, due to the risk of water ingress.

School classes were suspended in the counties of Baix Empordà, Selva and Gironès, as well as in Alt Empordà, and several roads across the region were closed to traffic.

Mobility restrictions in Alt Empordà and Baix Empordà were later extended until midnight, via another ES-Alert to mobile phones from Civil Protection.

Girona hit the hardest

The impact of the storm was felt early in the morning in the Girona region, where a man was swept away in his car in Palau-sator after attempting to cross a swollen stream.

Firefighters deployed five units to search for him, including an underwater rescue team.

The city of Girona was also affected. Shops located near the Onyar River were asked to close, and residents living in ground-floor apartments close to the river were advised to move to higher levels.

Catalan Civil Protection urged residents to limit both pedestrian and vehicle travel across the city.

"Today is a day for people to stay at home," said Girona mayor Lluc Salellas. "We cannot be certain that something will happen, but it is better to take preventive measures."

The Onyar River exceeded a flow rate of 300 cubic metres per second and is expected to continue rising due to rainfall at higher altitudes.

Other rivers, such as the Daró, which passes through La Bisbal d’Empordà, have already exceeded 500 cubic metres per second, surpassing the high-risk threshold.

School classes suspended

In Blanes, in the Selva county, access to the seafront promenade was closed due to strong waves, while rivers and streams flowing through the municipality toward the sea were closely monitored because of the risk of flooding.

School classes and all scheduled activities were suspended, along with non-essential municipal services.

Despite the situation, the town's head of Civil Protection, Xavier Benet, said that no major damage had been reported so far and that rivers were still managing to discharge the accumulated water.

"We are at high levels, but still far from overflowing," he said.

Firefighters attend 210 incidents

Firefighters responded to 210 incidents on Tuesday, with most calls received between 8 am and 10 am, primarily in the Girona region.

The 112 emergency hotline received more than 200 calls in just two hours, with Maresme the most affected county, followed by Baix Empordà and Barcelonès.

Since the start of the weather episode, the total number of incidents handled has exceeded 830, while 112 has received 1,619 calls.