Body of motorcyclist found in Girona, after he was swept away following heavy rain

Firefighters in Catalonia have located the body of a man who went missing on Thursday in Mieres, in Girona province, after attempting to cross an engorged river. The victim, described as a middle-aged foreign man, was part of a group of motorcyclists who had stopped at a nearby rural hotel. The area experienced heavy rainfall on Thursday, and the man was swept away by the strong current as he attempted to push his bike across the river, according to eyewitness accounts.

Much of the Mediterranean has been on alert for heavy rains since Thursday. In the Valencia region, the city of Gandía and the surrounding area known as La Safor recorded rainfall of nearly 300 millimeters.

Valencia authorities have declared a state of emergency in the Ribera Alta, where there was heavy rainfall lasting four hours in towns such as Alzira, Algemesí and Xeraco. The precipitation caused roads to be closed, flooded rivers and forced schools to close for the day. Between 2am and 3.30am the skies delivered 102.8mm of torrential rain over Alzira.

Local authorities in Tavernes de la Valldigna have warned that the Vaca river is overflowing, and asked residents to move their cars to higher ground. The CV-50 road connecting Alzira and La Barraca has been blocked to traffic at Portixol.

A month ago, the Mediterranean region experienced a phenomenon known in Spain as a gota fría, literally “cold drop,” which combined heavy rain with strong winds, killing 12 people on the island of Mallorca.

English version by Susana Urra.