The southern interior was on orange alert for storms that could include hail, and the forecast proved correct. This was the case in parts of the Vall d'Albaida, such as l'Olleria, where hail quickly turned the streets into a blanket of white. "It was as if it had snowed," explains Mayor Ramón Vidal.
The storm began around 4:15 p.m., although the wind had already given an hour's warning of what was to come, with gusts of up to 70 kilometers per hour. By 4:00 p.m., the winds had reached over 30 liters per square meter, all within about 15 minutes.
City Hall staff are already working to remove the ice and mud that has formed on the streets.
The hail has also destroyed crops, as happened last weekend, when another hailstorm damaged nearly 9,000 hectares of crops, mainly in Ontinyent, Albaida, and Pobla del Duc.
Hail has also fallen in other parts of the Vall d'Albaida, including Guadasséquies and Beniatjar.
During the early afternoon, heavy rains also fell in the north of the province. In towns in the Serranía mountains, such as Villar del Arzobispo, the streets were covered in white within minutes due to the massive hailstorm. The local police in this municipality reported that the hail fell briefly, but was accompanied by significant amounts of water. The episode lasted for about half an hour. At around 4:30 p.m., hail began to fall. So much hail had accumulated on the streets that it looked like snow.
In Casinos, the downpours continued for nearly an hour, and the water reached the sidewalk in some places. Mayor Miguel Navarré commented that the amount of water fell so much that it caused flooding in some lower areas. He is certain it will have caused damage to the rural roads they were repairing after the damage caused by the flood. When the storm passes, they will check whether the gravel they were laying has been washed away.
The storm was also accompanied by hail at times, sometimes with large stones. The mayor acknowledged that "it was brutal."
In Valencia, a downpour that lasted barely five minutes flooded the parking lot and players' entrance at La Fonteta, where the women's league final between Valencia and Casademont Zaragoza is scheduled for this afternoon.
Transportation in the capital has also been affected by the rains. On the MetroValencia network, trains were interrupted between Empalme-Llíria and Empalme-Bètera, and there were delays on other lines.
Valencia City Council has announced that the Santa Cruz de Tenerife CAES (Center for Emergency Relief) will open its doors tonight, in collaboration with the Red Cross, to accommodate the homeless. Municipalities at ground zero, such as Benetússer and Torrent, have suspended activities at municipal facilities and closed parks and gardens. In addition, city councils have urged residents to be cautious and avoid flood zones, as well as to avoid travel as much as possible.
In Torrent, the CECOPAL (Center for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities) has been established, and the Local Police and Civil Protection are monitoring the most problematic areas, although the City Council reports that there have been no significant incidents in the town center.
(Translated by Google)
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