Spainʼs weather agency AEMET reports unprecedented rain levels this October — almost double the usual amount with 147mm falling across the mainland. The month also stayed warm keeping temps at 15.5°C (thats 0.9°C above normal)
The small town of Turis near Valencia made history: it got 184.6mm rain in just 60-mins breaking the national per-hour record. The towns total 24-hour rainfall hit 771mm which almost beat the all-time record from back in 87 (that was 817mm in nearby Oliva)
The heavy-rain caused major problems in Valenciaʼs suburbs on oct-29: flash floods destroyed bridges swept away cars and filled underground parking lots with water. The disaster took more than 220 lives; 78 people are still missing and 48 bodies need identification (some missing persons might match these unidentified remains)
Climate experts point to Mediterranean warming as the main cause — more water evaporates making rain storms worse than before. The seaʼs higher temps create perfect conditions for these super-intense downpours; scientists say such wild-weather events happen more often now due to climate change