A 48-year-old British resident of Olivella, near Barcelona, died after attempting to drive his Volvo across a flooded waterway during severe storms in north-eastern Spain. The normally dry creek filled with an exceptional volume of water moving at extreme force, sweeping away the vehicle as he tried to cross. The incident highlights the dangers posed by sudden flash flooding in areas not typically categorised as flood-risk zones.

The alarm was raised around 11pm on Wednesday evening, and firefighters discovered the man's body approximately 500 metres from his vehicle at around 2.25am, following a search involving drones and specialist divers. The tragedy occurred as the Valencia region received over 70mm of rainfall in just half an hour, disrupting transport across Catalonia and Valencia, with flights cancelled, metro stations closed, and train services suspended. The heavy rainfall prompted memories of the devastating 2024 flood disaster in the region, which killed more than 200 people.