Heavy rain floods homes and washes away cars in Navarre

Heavy rain that has been battering the north of Navarre since Thursday has caused serious flooding to properties and washed away cars, mainly in the town of Elizondo, say regional police.

The River Baztan burst its banks on Friday morning, while the Navarre regional government and the Civil Guard reported that six people have so far had to be rescued.

Numerous roads have been cut off and a local health center, library and industrial park have also been evacuated.

The Baztan is flowing at a rate of 349.85 square meters a second at a height of 3.95 meters and was expected to rise further midday Friday.

A local health center, library and industrial park have been evacuated

Regional government official Javier Morrás predicted that the situation would soon start to improve as water levels have begun to drop in places, but warned people to “stay in their homes and not go to check on the state of their herd.” He also told locals to limit their cellphone use.

As well as the regional police, firefighters and the Civil Guard have deployed forces in the area to help with emergency operations.

The rain has also caused problems in other parts of Navarre, such as Valcarlos, where a landslide has affected the N-135 highway, and the Limas ravine in Arguedas.

The incidents are taking place just a short time after a heavy hail storm battered Madrid on Thursday afternoon, bringing traffic to a standstill on several highways, and an AVE high-speed train had to be stopped on Wednesday in Alicante after torrential rain flooded the track.