Flights diverted, roads blocked and local train services suspended as red alert activated for torrential rain in Barcelona

Three regions of Spain, Catalonia, Valencia and Extremadura, continue to monitor the sky this Monday and showers and storms will once again hit the areas of Castellón and Valencia most affected by the Dana.

A mass alert was sent out to the mobile phones of residents in the Barcelona municipality of Baix Llobregat warning them of torrential rain in the coming hours.

The Catalan regional government (Generalitat de Catalunya) sent out the alert about 8.30am this Monday 4 November to the mobile phones of thousands of residents, with people in the Barcelonés region, which includes Barcelona and its metropolitan area, also receiving a notification about 10.40am.

In a message shared on its social media, the government also called for extreme caution, avoiding unnecessary travel and staying away from streams and ravines, even if it is not raining heavily at any given time.

The most significant impact so far has been felt on the C-32 Garraf motorway, which is currently closed at Castelldefels. Likewise, the local Rodalies commuter train service has been suspended. There are delays at El Prat Airport and, for now, fifteen flights have been diverted. The Ministry of Transport has announced that it has set up a crisis committee at El Prat to monitor the impact of the severe storms. At the moment, some areas of the terminals are being affected by some flooding, mainly at the arrivals point of T1 and the car park.

The "final blast of the Dana" to which minister of the interior Nuria Parlón, alluded on Sunday night, is certainly making itself felt as the storm advances from south to north. The

The weather service of Catalonia (SMC) issued a warning for severe weather in several regions of Barcelona and Tarragona, including the Baix Llobregat itself, on Monday morning where it has declared a maximum degree of danger. The Catalan water agency (ACA) also issued a warning for the risk of overflowing of the Foix reservoir and the river Francolí, both in the province of Tarragona. The agency called for extreme caution with the possibility of sudden rises in rivers, torrents and streams in the area as a result of heavy rainfall.

There are currently at least 26 Catalan municipalities on alert due to the passage of the Dana that has been affecting the whole Iberian peninsula for more than a week, with Valencia the worst-affected area.

The president of the Catalan government, Salvador Illa, warned people to be careful. "Be extremely cautious and follow all the advice and recommendations from the emergency services," he said.

The 112 emergency telephone number had received 860 calls from midnight until 10am this Monday due to the rain in Catalonia. Most calls were made from Tarragonès (333) and Baix Llobregat (168).