Latest floods in Spain: Victims 'trapped like rats' and 63 dead after rain fell in 8 hours in Valencia for a year

Local police in Barcelona have issued a strong warning to residents to avoid driving and to evacuate areas at risk of flooding.

The Generalitat has predicted wind gusts of more than 90 kilometers per hour and hailstones measuring more than two centimeters.

Meteocat, Catalonia's weather agency, has announced that it has now closed access to beaches in the tourist town due to the high risk of tornadoes and heavy rain.

The warning particularly affects the local regions of Baix Llobregat and surrounding areas, including Garraf, Barcelonès, Vallès Occidental and Alt Penedès.

In a social media message, the Mossos urged people to stay safe, avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from flood-prone areas.

The Valencian city of Chiba experienced heavy rainfall yesterday, with a record-breaking rainfall of 491 liters per square meter.

According to the Spanish Meteorological Agency, the city received so much rain in just eight hours yesterday.

An Ikea store in Alfafar, Valencia, has become a refuge for more than 700 people displaced by the recent DANA flood.

According to local reports, the Civil Guard is facilitating the transfer of those affected to the store.

The store provides essential supplies including water, food, beds and even dry clothing and uniforms.

A local Ikea spokesman said: “The atmosphere in our store is calm, despite the fear and uncertainty everyone is feeling.”

Other Spanish supermarkets, including Alcampo in Alboraya and El Corte Inglés in Valencia, have also provided overnight accommodation for locals.

Valencia's mayor said people in the region are “trapped like rats” as floods continue to ravage the country.

Ricardo Gabaldon, mayor of the town of Utiel, told Spanish broadcaster RTVE that yesterday was “the worst day of my life.”

He said: “We were trapped like rats. Cars and dumpsters streamed through the streets. The water rose to three meters.”

The Institute of Forensic Medicine of Valencia has mobilized nine forensic teams to the areas affected by the DANA disaster.

According to local reports, teams are ready to recover bodies and carry out necessary identification.

The devastating floods and heavy rains have claimed at least 51 lives in Valencia.

Emergency services in Castile-La Mancha have confirmed the deaths of two women, an 88-year-old in the municipality of Mira, Cuenca, and another in Letur, Albacete, as a result of the heavy rains.

According to Spanish media, five people are currently missing and significant property damage has been reported in Letur.

Around a dozen other communities are affected by the storm disaster.

Esther Padilla, spokeswoman for the government of Castile-La Mancha, announced in a press conference that a request to declare a disaster area would be made and that “the safety of people is now the priority.”

There are currently 154 employees on site in Letur.

Milagros Tolón, the region's government delegate, traveled to Letur, where authorities are actively working to locate the missing people.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed that additional army units, as well as search dogs and drones, would be deployed in the coming hours.

The Ministry of Education of Castile-La Mancha has announced the suspension of 17 routes to school, affecting 235 students in the provinces of Guadalajara, Albacete and Cuenca.