1 dead, dozens injured as violent winds batter Spain, red alert issued in Valencia region

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - At least one person has died and about 90 were injured in Catalonia alone after violent winds swept across large parts of Spain on Thursday and Friday, while meteorologists issued a red alert for hurricane-force gusts in parts of the Valencia region.

The fatality occurred in Barcelona, where a 46-year-old woman died after part of the roof of an industrial building collapsed during the storm, police said.

The extreme winds, driven by storm Nils, forced school closures, canceled non-urgent medical activity and disrupted transport across Catalonia on Thursday. More than 100 flights were canceled at Barcelona’s El Prat airport, while rail services were suspended or delayed and truck traffic was restricted near the French border.

Emergency services received nearly 6,000 calls in Catalonia – the highest number ever recorded during a wind episode – as gusts reached up to 166 kilometers (103 miles) per hour, according to regional authorities.

On Friday, another storm system called Oriana moved in, and large areas of eastern and northern Spain remained under orange or yellow alerts for wind, rain, snow and coastal storms through the weekend.

Spain’s national weather agency, Aemet, placed parts of Castellon province in Valencia under a red alert, warning of “hurricane-force” winds exceeding 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour on Saturday.

The storm has also worsened flooding across southern Spain, particularly in Castile-La Mancha and Andalusia, where authorities said the cumulative impact of successive storms has been unprecedented.

“We have never experienced an emergency of this level,” said Andalusian interior and emergency official Antonio Sanz, who reported nearly 12,000 incidents handled across the region during the recent chain of storms.

He said authorities were forced to issue 10 emergency alerts to phones – an unprecedented number – while more than 3,100 people remain evacuated from their homes.

The agricultural sector has also been hit hard. Agriculture Minister Luis Planas described the damage as “very significant,” citing early estimates of at least 14,000 hectares (34,600 acres) affected in Andalusia, a figure expected to rise as assessments continue. Flooded citrus groves, olive orchards and damaged irrigation systems were reported across several provinces.

The string of storms has also battered Portugal. Earlier this week, part of the country’s main north-south highway near the city of Coimbra collapsed due to flooding.

Authorities in the historic city are preparing evacuation plans for up to 9,000 people if river levels continue to rise, local media reported. The nearby Mondego River has already overflowed in some areas.

Across Portugal, at least 16 people have died in recent weeks due to the succession of Atlantic storms.

However, meteorologists say Oriana could be the last major system for now, with stable weather expected next week.​​​​​​​