Brutal storms batter top Brit holiday hotspot with water tornadoes and torrential rain as streets turn to rivers

BRUTAL storms have battered a top Brit holiday hotspot with water tornadoes and torrential rain, turning streets into rivers. A powerful weather front swept from north to south across Spain’s Costa Blanca, in the province of Alicante, on Saturday morning – just 48 hours after a UK man died in flash floods near Barcelona. Cars partially submerged in floodwaters Credit: Solarpix A bar was left underwater during the storm Credit: Solarpix Up to 50 litres of rain per square metre was unleashed along parts of the coast in just a few hours. The deluge was accompanied by lightning striking trees, booming thunder and sudden flooding, turning roads into rivers. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Footage shows dozens of cars stranded in muddy waters while containers are swept into the path of traffic. Another video shows water pouring inside a bar terrace, submerging chairs and tables. Roads and streets turned into rivers Credit: Solarpix An underpass submerged halfway Credit: Solarpix Holiday hotspots like Alicante and Benidorm were also hit by the freaky weather conditions. Near neighbouring Denia, a spectacular water tornado – called a waterspout – was also spotted tearing through the sea. And in Orihuela, firefighters were deployed after a palm tree was hit by lightning and caught fire. The Spanish national weather agency AEMET described the storms as highly localised but very intense, meaning rainfall amounts varied sharply even between nearby coastal communities. Most read in The Sun A watersprout near Denia Credit: Solarpix Damage on the beachfront Credit: Solarpix The agency issues an orange alert for wind, rain and storms, which was later dropped. Currently, there is an active yellow alert for Lorca, Cartagena and San Javier. The storms came just days after a British man died in flash floods in the town of Olivella, around 20 miles from Barcelona. Rescuers recovered the “lifeless body” of the man about 1,500ft from his car after it was swept away by a stream, authorities said. Thursday’s deluge disrupted travel across Catalonia and Valencia, with flights cancelled and roads submerged. Authorities further warned that popular holiday destinations Benidorm, Ibiza, and Magaluf will be hit in the coming days. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned of “very complicated situations” as authorities urged against any travel. The horrific weather comes after Spain’s hottest summer on record. Wildfires erupted throughout the nation as astonishing clips showed the extent of the devastation. Comment now