At least 51 people are known to have died after heavy rain caused flooding in southeastern Spain, authorities said.
The country has been hit hard by heavy rain and hail, which has caused flash floods in many regions.
Rescue efforts are ongoing and the president of the Valencia region, Carlós Mazón, said it was “impossible” to put an exact number on the final death toll at this stage.
Pictures uploaded on social media show the floodwaters causing chaos, collapsing bridges and dragging cars along the roads. Another video appeared showing people clinging to trees to avoid being washed away.
The Spanish Weather Service reported that Chiva, in the Valencia region, recorded 491mm of rain in just eight hours yesterday, equivalent to a year's worth of rain.
Radio and television stations are reported to have been receiving many calls for help from people trapped in flooded areas or looking for loved ones, as emergency services struggle to reach other areas.
Emergency workers are using drones to search for the missing in the hard-hit municipality of Letur, local official Milagros Tolon told Spanish public television station TVE.
“The priority is to find these people,” he said.
Local media reported that dozens of people in Valencia spent the night trapped in trucks or cars, on roofs and bridges, waiting to be rescued.
The Spanish weather agency AEMET has announced a red alert in the Valencia region and a second high level of alert in parts of Andalusia.
The floods caused several flights to be disrupted due to the stay in Valencia being diverted to other cities and others cancelled. All train services have been suspended in the Valencia region, said national rail infrastructure operator ADIF.
Valencia city hall said all schools and sporting events have been suspended for Wednesday, and parks will remain closed.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a post on X that he was following reports of missing people “with concern”.
He urged people to follow the advice of the authorities, adding that people should “avoid unnecessary travel.”
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