Madrid’s metro system is flooded as city is hit by worst rainfall since 1972, weather warnings are placed across Spain and two people are killed

Madrid’s metro system was flooded as the city was hit by its worst rainfall since 1972 – with two people killed and two others reported missing elsewhere in Spain.

Footage of water flooding into Madrid’s metro has circulated on social media, showing water gushing through the doors of a moving carriage while shocked passengers looked on.

The downpour can be seen through the carriage window as water floods underneath the door, reaching the passengers within seconds.

As chaos ensues across Spain, a police spokesman confirmed two people have died in the rural area around the central city of Toledo.

They added that helicopters were also sent to rescue people who sought refuge on the roofs of their homes in the Toledo area. 

In one horrifying clip, we see water begin to gush quickly through the doors of a moving carriage 

Cars were seen mangled and overturned as the floods swept through Spain

Damage at Malvarrosa beach after heavy rains hit Valencia, Spain 

It is not currently known how much damage the floods have caused so far

Locals were already seen making efforts to clean their homes and streets up

The floods managed to crumple cars across the country

Meanwhile, in the region of Madrid, emergency services tackled almost 1,200 incidents overnight and firefighters and police were searching for one man in the rural area of Aldea del Fresno, south-west of Madrid.

The man and his son went missing when their car was dragged into the Alberche River by an avalanche.

Madrid emergency services have confirmed the minor was rescued after he climbed up a tree.

Another 84-year-old man went missing in the Villamanta area west of Madrid after being dragged away by streams of water and mud. 

In the Madrid region, half a dozen bridges were torn down by the flooding water, causing river banks to overflow.

Roads, subway lines and high-speed train connections have been shut across Spain due to the torrential rain. 

Madrid’s mayor on Sunday advised all residents to stay at home as the capital braced itself for torrential rain and storms affecting several parts of Spain.

National weather agency AEMET issued a maximum red alert, which means possible extreme danger in the Madrid region, Toledo province, and the city of Cadiz.

It said up to 120 litres per square metre of rain could fall over 12 hours in Madrid – smashing the previous record for rainfall there 87 litres per square metre set in 1972. 

People have been told to stay at home to avoid being caught in severe flooding which has already damaged major roads and bridges

Emergency services prepare to evacuate a stranded driver

Cars are stranded on a flooded road following heavy rain in Toledo, Spain, September 4, 2023

The forecasts of heavy rain in central Spain led authorities to suspend transport, cancel major sporting events and issue stay at home orders for millions of people

A man in his flooded home, on September 3, 2023, in Les Cases d’Alcanar, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain

Rescuers wade through rushing floodwaters to help stranded residents

Floodwaters are seen rushing through a town in Spain last night

Madrid’s mayor on Sunday advised all residents to stay at home as the capital braced itself for torrential rain and storms 

View of a flooded road in Villanueva de Bogas, Toledo, Spain September 3, 2023

Flooding in Les Cases d’Alcanar, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain

It comes as Britons are set to bask in a heatwave this week as a weather map shows temperatures could reach 29C today. 

After a somewhat gloomy summer, the start of autumn is almost making up for it, with the mercury forecast to get as high as 32C by mid week. 

The forecasts of heavy rain in central Spain led authorities to suspend transport, cancel major sporting events and issue stay at home orders for millions of people.

Spain’s state rail authority said the service between Madrid and the eastern coastal area of Valencia – one of the country’s largest and most frequented – has been suspended until further notice, along with several other lines. 

Pedro Ruiz of Madrid’s emergency services said the city has activated protocols to prepare for flooding.

The agency said it sent text messages to Madrid residents with instructions to stay at home and avoid using cars with streets set to be overtaken by the deluge. 

Madrid mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida called for people to remain off the streets to help emergency crews move with greater speed during what he said was expected to be ‘an exceptional and truly rare situation in terms of precipitation’.

Meanwhile, the Spanish football league said it postponed Atletico Madrid’s home game with Sevilla after considering the warnings from the weather service and the recommendation of Madrid’s municipal government.

The weather conditions persist after Spanish resort towns were punished by floods and powerful winds last week.

The island of Majorca battled hurricane-force winds of more than 75mph, as stunned holidaymakers have shared footage of tourists running for shelter while sun loungers were sent flying across swimming pools and beaches.

Severe warnings were issued across the holiday hotspots of Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera, and more than 100 flights were cancelled or diverted at Palma, Ibiza and Menorca due to strong winds and rain. 

The intense downpours come after Spain endured an intense heat wave and persistent high temperatures in August.

Madrid mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida called for people to remain off the streets to help emergency crews move with greater speed during what he said was expected to be ‘an exceptional and truly rare situation in terms of precipitation’

Cars are stuck on a highway in Spain amid heavy flooding

In the municipality of Santa Barbara, the river has burst its banks and flooded garages and the ground floors of houses

Rescuers carry stranded residents to safety

Meanwhile in Britain, the Met Office says a jet stream – which has been bringing largely unsettled spells of weather to the UK – is continuing to shift north, allowing higher pressure to build widely across the country.  

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Chris Bulmer, said ‘fine and settled conditions will develop and along with this we will see a rise in temperature across most parts of the UK this week. 

‘Many places can expect to see maximum temperatures rise to 25C or above for several days, which would bring some locations into the realm of heatwave conditions.

‘Although the highest temperatures are likely to be in the south and east of England, these areas also have higher temperature thresholds for heatwave conditions to be declared.

‘So, while some areas may just miss out on the actual definition, regardless of thresholds, many areas will enjoy a fine period of weather with plenty of sunshine and temperatures are likely to be the highest for many since June or early July.’

‘Most places are going to see wall-to-wall sunshine by the middle of the week, which is something we haven’t seen for much of the summer,’ Met Office senior operational meteorologist Amy Bokota said. 

‘It’s going to feel warmer than we would expect for the start of autumn, particularly in London and the South East, where the heatwave threshold could be met.

‘But it will also feel humid and muggy in some areas, with temperatures in parts of the country staying above 20C (68F) overnight, making for uncomfortable sleeping conditions.’