Waterspouts were spotted spiralling off the Mediterranean coast as flash floods and severe storms battered a popular Brit holiday spot
Footage circulating on social media has captured the dramatic moment enormous waterspouts spiralled off the coastline of a popular tourist destination.
Southern Spain has been battered by flash floods as fierce storms swept through the region ahead of the summer holidays. Torrential downpours triggered widespread flooding on roads across parts of Murcia, with cars pictured floating in deep floodwater as the deluge hammered the area.
Several marine tornadoes emerged offshore, with witnesses reporting at least three waterspouts. The towering vortexes stretched from dark, brooding storm clouds down towards the Mediterranean, according to the Sun. A waterspout is a rotating column of air that forms over water, capable of producing destructive wind gusts. In extreme cases, winds can reach speeds of up to 250km/h.
Days earlier British holidaymakers in parts of Spain were issued a weather warning.
Spain’s state meteorological agency AEMET reinforced severe weather warnings across Campo de Cartagena, while authorities issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms, cautioning residents about the possibility of hail and powerful wind gusts, reports the Mirror.
An orange alert remained active for torrential rainfall, with forecasters predicting up to 40mm of rain falling within a single hour.
The conditions form part of a broader storm system sweeping across eastern and southern parts of the country, following weeks of warm weather. Meteorologists have cautioned of heavy downpours, electrical storms and rapidly shifting conditions throughout the region.
The severe weather arrives just weeks after storms struck Spain in March, claiming one life. In some areas, rainfall exceeded 250 litres per square metre, with rivers surging to perilous levels.
Earlier this year, Storm Leonardo unleashed more than 15 inches of rain within just 24 hours, forcing mass evacuations, school closures and widespread train cancellations.
The devastating storm also claimed a life in Portugal, displacing thousands of residents from their homes.
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