Most destructive storm of the century leaves at least 158 dead in various parts of Spain

At least 158 people have died in Spain due to the floods caused by a "historic" Dana isolated high level weather depression in the provinces of Valencia, Albacete and Malaga earlier this week, according to the latest provisional figures provided by the emergency services. However, this figure "is expected to continue rising due to the innumerable number of missing people," said the operational coordination centre of the Ministry of the Interior.

Some twenty-four hours after the tragedy, lifeless bodies continue to be found in cars, houses and shops. “Unfortunately they continue to appear,” repeat the rescue teams.

"Everyone is mobilised," said Margarita Robles, Spain's Minister of Defence. Land, sea and air troops will be used to reinforce the logistical tasks and distribution of aid to the population," said the president of the Valencia regional government, Carlos Mazón. A message that comes after many people in the devastated area have been without electricity and drinking water for almost 48 hours. The first reinforcements will arrive this Friday at 8am and be set to work in the most affected areas.

The highest number of victims so far are concentrated in the municipalities of La Huerta de Valencia with a total of 92 deaths, while Emiliano García-Page, president of Castilla-La Mancha has confirmed the death of two people, one in Mira (Cuenca) and another in Letur (Albacete) and has announced that the prognosis handled by the regional government in the Albacete town "is very negative" with respect to the rest of the missing, although "hope" remains.

The latest update has come from Andalucía where the president of the Junta, Juanma Moreno, has confirmed the death of a person due to the rains in the last few hours.

In a press conference earlier today, the Minister for Regional Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, announced that the government will declare the areas as "highly affected" and has promised to provide "all available aid", both state and European funds. He also announced that three days of official mourning will be declared throughout the country for the 70 deaths.

Spain's PM Pedro Sánchez also urged people "not to let their guard down" as the danger has not yet passed". King Felipe VI also posted a message on social media that read "Devastated by the latest news about the 'Dana'. Our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the more than 50 deceased. Strength, encouragement and all the necessary support for all those affected. Our warmest message and recognition to local and regional authorities and to all emergency services, Armed Forces and State Security Forces and Corps for the titanic work they have been doing from the very beginning".

The result of flash flooding as a result of the Dana is the third natural disaster in terms of number of deaths after the Biescas flood (Huesca) in 1996 with 87 deaths and the Turia flood in 1957, in which between 80 and 100 people lost their lives. The natural disaster that claimed the most lives in Spain was the flood at the Biescas campsite, in the province of Huesca. It happened on 7 August 1996, when a sudden rise in the Arás torrent swept away the Las Nieves campsite, causing the death of 87 people and injuring more than 187.

The Valencia flood in 1957 inundated the city, causing at least 81 deaths, thousands of victims, and considerable material damage. In fact, this event marked the future and development of Valencia, leading to the change of course of the Turia river in 1973 in order to prevent a catastrophe of the same magnitude from happening again.

In the latest incident Valencia was hit particulary hard by the downpours, especially in the Ribera Alta and Plana de Utiel-Requena areas. In Plana de Utiel-Requena, there were more than 309mm, in neighbouring Turís there were 299 and in Castelló de la Ribera 266, according to data from the Valencian meteorology association (Avamet).

"There are lifeless bodies and, unfortunately, they continue to appear," the head of the regional executive in Valencia said. No further details could be shared "out of respect for the families". He urged the public to stay calm, adding that "emergency services are prepared and ready" and if they are unable to reach some areas it is because "either there is a breakdown in communications, or because they are flooded areas".

Emergency services were also searching the town of l'Alcudia for the driver of a lorry who disappeared in flood waters shortly before 1pm. The man did not answer calls to his mobile phone and did not contact anyone. His lorry, however, was found parked in a street.

Firefighters were kept busy in Valencia region where among many requests for help, they rescued several motorists trapped inside their vehicles. In one of the rescues, the provincial fire brigade's helicopter was called in to help pull drivers out to safety. Classes were suspended on Tuesday in several Valencian and Alicante municipalities, as well as on the campuses of the University of Valencia, the Catholic University, the Polytechnic University and the CEU Cardenal Herrera Oria. Schools will remain closed this Wednesday in cities such as Valencia, Torrent, Alzira, Chiva, Cullera and Algemesí.

In addition to closures on the A-3 and A-7 motorways - which link the Levante area with Madrid and Catalonia - rail traffic was suspended on the Madrid-Valencia AVE line, affecting 2,722 passengers, according to Renfe.

There were also major problems on several Cercanías lines, as well as on the metro in Valencia city. Adif then decided in the evening to ban train travel in the region until at least 10am today, when the weather situation and the state of the tracks was re-evaluated.

Almost all activity in the ports of Valencia and in Sagunto was stopped due to the storm at sea. The wild weather also caused telephone lines to go down, which kept Telefónica technicians busy to try and repair the network. Local roads were closed in several municipalities such as Chiva, Buñol, Siete Aguas, Simat de la Valldigna, Requena, Alzira and Carcaixent, where the rainfall exceeded 100mm. A tornado in Benifaió also caused considerable damage.

Members of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) were called in mid-afternoon on Tuesday to travel to the Utiel-Requena area, where there were numerous isolated people and flooded roads and paths. The UME announced after midnight that its members were "carrying out rescue work for people trapped by the floods in Requena, Utiel, Chirivella and Alacuás".

At Valencia Airport, ten flights had been cancelled by 8pm (eight departures and two arrivals) and another 12 were diverted (six to Alicante, five to Barcelona and one to Ibiza) as a result of the Dana.

Yesterday, regional president Carlos Mazón urged the population not to go out on the road, especially in Valencia province, and to stay indoors. For those outdoors, he advised people to seek high ground if they are near ravines and riverbeds. "The night [Tuesday night] is going to be long," he said.

In Cuenca province, 725 passengers were stuck at the station in the provincial capital, waiting for trains to resume. Renfe announced that, in addition to providing food and water to passengers, it will establish an alternative plan to continue the journey. In total there are three trains affected; two of them will return to Madrid and the third will return to Alicante, from where passengers who were going to connect with Valencia will have to do so by bus.

Meanwhile, emergency services began the search for two missing people in the town of Letur in Albacete, in the middle of the Sierra del Segura, on Tuesday afternoon. They are employees of Letur town hall who were last seen on board a van, which later appeared empty in a stream. They were telephoned for several hours without success as communications in the area went dark. Emergency services are also searching for four other people who had gone out into the countryside in this area.

The Red Cross set up a temporary shelter in the public school Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Letur as heavy rains left many houses flooded. Some 60 people took refuge in the shelter. Another 30 people were trapped in their homes and dozens had to take refuge in local bars.

Molinicos, in Albacete province, was also heavily impacted after the Dana dumped 120mm of rain on the town. One of its access roads was also cut off by a landslide.

Downpours in the early hours of Tuesday caused significant damage in Andalucía, cutting off numerous roads and suspending classes at several schools. In Alora in Malaga province, an AVE train travelling from Malaga city to Madrid derailed, with no injuries reported. One of the axles of the front engine derailed as a result of a stream overflowing. The passengers were transferred to another train to continue their journey. Adif operators managed to re-establish service on the tracks in the vicinity of Malaga, but train traffic between Gobantes and El Chorro was suspended in the early afternoon.

One of the towns in Malaga province most affected by the storm was Álora, where large areas became flooded, with rain gauges registering some 150mm. Several people had to be evacuated by helicopter in the El Puente de Isla Hermosa neighbourhood after the Guadalhorce river overflowed its banks, reaching a height of 4.2 metres. In Marbella, a lightning strike caused a fire in a two-storey house. In the Axarquía area, some 100mm were recorded during the night.

In neighbouring Almería province, the storm lashed the El Ejido area where heavy hailstorms destroyed roofs, cars and crops. According to the Unión de Pequeños Agricultores (UPA), the storms and hail in the Poniente Almeriense region caused damage to crops and infrastructure worth some 30 million euros and affected some 11,300 hectares of land.

In Granada, heavy rains also caused flooding in Baza, Guadix and Montaña Oriental. In Cúllar, Guardia Civil had to rescue a couple travelling in a car with their children - aged 1, 3 and 5 - when they were caught in flood waters on a dirt road in the Lagarto river.

Large parts of Murcia were also flooded, with road closures in the towns of Cehegin and Caravaca, where some 121mm of rain fell. The wind in Lorca reached gusts of about 50 kilometres per hour. Strong winds and vicious waves caused a boat to sink in the port of Águilas.