Record rainfall in central Spain has caused heavy flooding, resulting in at least two deaths and three people missing. The torrential rain has led to the closure of roads, subway lines, and high-speed train connections. Emergency services have dispatched helicopters to rescue individuals taking refuge on the roofs of their homes in the Toledo area, located 50 km southwest of Madrid. The sudden downpour transformed streets into rivers of mud, sweeping away cars and trash bins in various regions, including Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, and Valencia.

BREAKING | Heavy rainfall in Tarragona, Spain leads to massive flooding in the region.
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— READY ALERTS (@ReadyAlerts) September 3, 2023

The countryside around Toledo experienced record rainfall of 90 liters per square meter on Sunday, leading to the tragic deaths of three individuals. One victim was trapped in a lift that filled with water, while another was inside a flooded vehicle. The body of a missing 50-year-old man was also found in a river near his home in Camarena. Emergency services responded to nearly 1,200 incidents in the Madrid region overnight, and search efforts are underway for a missing man and woman in separate incidents.

The Ministry of Defense has deployed army engineers to construct a portable truss bridge in Aldea del Fresno, replacing the original bridge that was swept away. Subway lines in central Madrid were temporarily closed, but most have since reopened. While some high-speed train connections have resumed, trains are operating at lower speeds. The cut-off low phenomenon, responsible for the heavy rainfall, is starting to move away from Spain, according to AEMET, the weather service.