Parts of Spain’s Valencia region that were hit by heavy downpours and severe flooding almost two weeks ago were returning to normal on Monday, with 47 schools reopening, the regional government reported on X.
The death toll stood at more than 220, with 32 people still missing, according to a report from the authorities on Sunday evening.
Rescue and clearing up work was proceeding in the worst-hit 80 municipalities around the regional capital, with almost 20,000 police, troops and volunteers assisting.
In the Albufera de Valencia wetlands to the south of the regional capital, rescue workers were still seeking victims with the aid of drones and echo-sounding equipment, state broadcaster RTVE reported on Monday.
Spain’s AEMET state weather service predicted further showers over the Valencia region for Monday. From Tuesday, heavier falls are forecast in Catalonia around Barcelona in the north-east and on the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean.
On October 29, a “cold drop” event of the kind that occurs frequently in September and October hit the Valencia region, claiming the lives of 214 people in the region and a further eight in Castilla-La Mancha to the west and Andalusia to the south.
The phenomenon is linked to a large temperature difference between the sea and the air and occurs when the first Atlantic low-pressure troughs with cold air move over the warm Mediterranean.
