Is it safe to travel to Spain and should I cancel my holiday after the flood disaster?

Many flights were delayed and disrupted after a powerful storm brought strong winds and heavy rain that hit Spain's popular Costa del Sol tourist destination.

Thousands of residents have been evacuated from the Guadalhorce river west of Malaga due to the high risk of flooding, and hospitals are already flooded as doctors can be seen walking through water in the corridors of the wards.

Spanish airport authorities have asked those flying out of Malaga Airport and El Prat Airport in Barcelona to check with their airline before departure for flight updates.

All train services have been suspended in Malaga, and the city's train station has been evacuated due to flooding, national rail infrastructure manager Adif said.

The disruption to travel in Malaga comes two weeks after the city and other areas of Eastern Spain, namely Valencia, were hit by devastating floods due to strong storms, the worst flooding disaster the region has experienced in decades.

After the floods, cars have filled the road surrounded by a sea of ​​debris and damaged buildings.

More than 200 people have lost their lives after the floods hit the roads, turned the roads into rivers and left people in their homes and on the roofs of cars.

It is the worst flood-related disaster Spain has seen since at least 1996 when 87 people died and 180 were injured in a flash flood near Biescas in the Pyrenees.

After heavy rain, rescue teams intensified their search for hundreds of missing people in Valencia, hit by record-breaking floods.

Here's the latest on the situation in Spain and what you need to know about travel.

Will my flight to Malaga airport be canceled after the recent floods?

Of the 296 commercial flights scheduled at Malaga-Costa Del Sol airport on Wednesday, only one has been canceled as of 2pm local time, while around five have been diverted, Spain's airline group, Aena, said.

Aena asks that anyone flying from Malaga-Costa Del Sol Airport and Barcelona's El Prat Airport on Wednesday to check the status of their flight with their airline, as heavy rain and bad weather affected routes on both flights.

Flights arriving at Malaga airport on Wednesday were on time, apart from a few diversions, but around 10.30am local time arrivals were getting delayed and continued until mid-afternoon when things seemed to be getting better, but still few. disruptions and disruptions occurring, data from FlightRadar shows.

A similar pattern occurred for flights from Malaga, which saw the itinerary disrupted by delays and, according to data, at least six flights were canceled that were supposed to depart from the afternoon until the evening.

At Barcelona's El Prat airport, there appeared to be little disruption to arrivals on Wednesday, however, with many departures delayed, with at least one cancelled.

All train services in Malaga province were suspended, including the high-speed train between Madrid and Malaga, and Malaga train station was evacuated due to flooding, national rail infrastructure operator Adif said.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?

Simon Calder, travel journalist at The Independent, says: “Regardless of the reason for the cancellation, and regardless of the amount of notice you are given, you can insist on a change of transportation: the airline must take you to your destination as soon as possible if that is what you want.”

“The UK Civil Aviation Authority says that means that if a flight is available on the first day of travel, a passenger must be booked on it – even if it's on a rival carrier.”

However, financial compensation may not be available, as airlines may claim that bad weather means “weather conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned”, meaning that the cancellation was not the airline's fault.

Where in Spain are there floods?

This week, around 3,000 people living along the Guadalhorce River in Malaga province were evacuated as floods hit the region.

The Costa del Sol, which includes popular tourist destinations such as Marbella, Estepona, and Vélez, is suffering from extreme weather.

Heavy rain, which has been the equivalent of a year in just eight hours in one region, has hit cities such as Valencia and Malaga in the past two weeks, causing severe flooding.

More than 200 people have died, and search and rescue teams are still trying to find many more.

Thousands of people faced power and water cuts and shortages of essential goods last week, especially in the worst-hit eastern region.

Flooding then hit Barcelona as a result of the heavy rainfall that hit the region. Pictures show cars submerged in water and rainwater flooding cities in the region.

Government travel advice

As of 13 November, the UK's Foreign Office (FCDO) travel advice said that travel may be affected due to severe weather and flooding affecting many areas of southern and eastern Spain, particularly in the regions of Valencia and Castilla La Mancha.

The FCDO advises to check the latest weather warnings from the Spanish weather office before traveling and to follow the instructions from the local authorities.

According to the Foreign Office's general advice on travel to flood-affected areas, they warn that floodwaters can cause damage and loss of life. After the floods, they also warn that the risk of water-borne diseases is increasing and the transport infrastructure may be seriously affected.

The European Meteorological Services advises travel only if travel is essential in coastal Barcelona.

“Great or catastrophic damage may occur to people and property, especially to those who are at risk or in exposed areas,” they wrote.

Is there more rain on the way?

On Wednesday, the Spanish meteorological office Aemet warned of heavy rain and floods that will hit Malaga, Granada, north of Castellon and south of Tarragona; and from the evening and the coast of Valencia.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there are warnings of very dangerous red weather throughout the country in the east of Tarragona and the provinces south of Malaga.

The warning says the coast south of Tarragona can expect to receive 7.1 inches of rain in 12 hours, which could cause rivers to overflow and cause flooding.

Red warnings extend to: Sun and Guadalhorce, Malaga, Axarquia, Malaga and the southern coast of Tarragona.

Images from Malaga showed events such as a tornado tearing through the sky and floods covering roads and walkways.

Antonio Sanz, a minister in the regional government, said: “We have not evacuated all the towns, but there are some areas that are connected to the banks of the river. This decision has been forwarded to the Spanish government so that they can cooperate with the security forces and state agencies.”

Can I cancel my holiday and get a refund?

As the Foreign Office has not warned about non-essential travel to Spain, there will be no special circumstances that will allow a full refund to be canceled.

The conditions for canceling your trip will depend on your holiday provider, so it is best to contact them if you want to postpone.

There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings if you want to cancel, and you will not be able to claim travel insurance for safety reasons unless Foreign Office advice changes.

With travel insurance, some policies include natural disaster cover for an event that prevents you from reaching your vacation destination. Check your insurance policies and talk to your insurer to see where you stand.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder's podcast