Incredible floods hit southern Spain with pedestrians swept along streets as roads turn to rivers

By TARYN KAUR PEDLER, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER and NATALIA PENZA Published: 09:55, 17 June 2026 | Updated: 09:55, 17 June 2026 Roads have been turned into rivers during an incredible storm that has left a Spanish holiday hotspot severely flooded. Desperate pedestrians were swept along the streets, and motorists found themselves floating among wheelie bins in raging torrents of water amid the downpour. After the skies opened and torrential rain fell on the southern city of Jaen, in Andalucia, locals and holidaymakers were left stunned by a sudden lashing of hail. Footage of the dramatic weather event at around 8pm yesterday showed people shouting for help as the cascading water knocked them off their feet and prevented them from getting back up. A man was seen in a terrifying clip, published by residents, being carried down the roaring current between Calle Doctor Civera and San Clemente. Another man was pictured floating down a city street past a parked car with its windscreen wipers at full speed as if he were in the middle of a river. Other videos captured inside the central Parking de la Constitucion sparked panic as floodwaters rushed into the garage, rising all the way up to the ceiling and submerging vehicles. The ferocious storm raised paving stones and made cafe and bar terraces, where people had been enjoying the sunshine yesterday afternoon, places of immediate danger. Desperate pedestrians were swept along the streets amid the downpour in Jaen, Andalucia, southern Spain Footage captured inside the central Parking de la Constitucion sparked panic as floodwaters rushed into the garage, rising all the way up to the ceiling and submerging vehicles After the skies opened and torrential rain fell on the city, locals and holidaymakers were left stunned by a sudden lashing of hail The state weather agency Aemet upgraded the region to an orange alert on Tuesday evening as the violent hailstorm and intense rainfall caught hundreds of commuters and residents by surprise.  The storm only lasted 20 minutes, but caused chaos in Jaen and the surrounding areas. Emergency services were completely overwhelmed after 50mm of rain cascaded down in just one hour.  Preliminary data from the Andalucia Meteo network (AMETSE) weather station in Jaen tracked a staggering 32mm of rain in a single 15-minute window.  The sudden influx of water instantly wreaked havoc on the city's infrastructure, causing severe drainage failures that forced torrents of water to erupt violently from underground drains. Police and firefighters received 110 calls about flooding in garages and basements. Emergency services issued an urgent warning advising residents to avoid all non-essential travel and instructed drivers to abandon their cars immediately if floodwaters rose above the wheel axles.  Yellow warnings for heavy rain and storms stay active across Jaen province and extend along the Guadalquivir valley through Cordoba and Sevilla provinces. The alerts extend further to cover Granada and are also in place in Zaragoza in the northeast.  Orange level alerts have been applied in northwest regions, in parts of Galicia and around Ponferrada in Leon, where storm activity carries higher risks.  These constitute the first major summer storms of 2026 in Spain. The ferocious storm raised paving stones and made cafe and bar terraces, where people had been enjoying the sunshine yesterday afternoon, places of immediate danger The storm only lasted 20 minutes, but caused chaos in Jaen and the surrounding areas Emergency services were completely overwhelmed after 50mm of rain cascaded down in just one hour Local authorities have warned that drivers across Jaen and the surrounding areas should monitor the weather conditions closely as intense localised downpours are still possible. Despite the widespread destruction and scenes of panic across the city, emergency coordinators confirmed that no serious personal injuries or major structural damage have been reported.  It comes just a month after another part of southern Spain was hit by flash floods and freak severe weather. Footage shared online showed huge waterspouts spiralling into the sky while roads were transformed into rivers by torrential rain sweeping across parts of Murcia. The phenomenon, known in Spanish as a 'manga marina', is a rotating column of air that forms over water beneath storm clouds and can generate extremely powerful wind gusts.  Cars were seen struggling through floodwater as heavy downpours swept across the region. Residents in La Manga were left stunned after several marine tornadoes appeared offshore during the violent storms. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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