At least five people have died and around 850,000 people in eastern Spain were placed under a temporary lockdown on Monday after Storm Adam caused severe flooding in Valencia and Alicante. Across Europe, the UK has been hit by its first named winter storm, Storm Austen, with a second, Storm Boelo, expected this weekend, while Super Typhoon Champi is approaching Taiwan, China and Japan.
Severe flooding caused by Storm Adam has killed at least five people in eastern Spain, where around 850,000 people across 145 municipalities in Valencia and Alicante were placed under a temporary lockdown on Monday. Pego in Alicante recorded 632mm of rain in 36 hours, with 430mm falling in just six hours, while the Valencian town of Olivia received 600mm in 24 hours. About 500 people have been rescued and 2,100 evacuated. The storm also hit the Balearic Islands, where more than 130 incidents were recorded on Ibiza, including standing water at the airport that forced some flights to be diverted or suspended. Although the worst has passed, forecasters say local disruption will continue.
The UK is now in the path of Storm Austen, the first named storm of the winter, which is tracking through the Channel and bringing damaging winds to south-west England, Wales, south-west Ireland and northern France. Gusts are expected to reach 50-60mph, with exposed north-western coasts of France potentially seeing 80-90mph. A second deep low-pressure system, Storm Boelo, is forecast to track across northern Scotland on Saturday into Sunday, bringing further damaging winds and heavy, prolonged rain. Western Scotland is expected to see the strongest gusts, while western parts of Ireland could see 50-60mph winds, and exposed parts of north-west Ireland 70-80mph. Rainfall of 10-20mm is expected widely, rising to 30-60mm in western Ireland, Wales and south-west England, increasing the risk of flooding.
Elsewhere, Super Typhoon Champi is headed towards China and Japan after passing north-eastern Taiwan. While it has weakened since Wednesday, it remains the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds of 121mph and gusts of 185mph. Up to 900mm of rain is forecast to fall in the mountainous regions of northern and eastern Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday. School closures, cancelled flights and six-metre waves have already been reported.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Around 850,000 residents across eastern Spain faced lockdown restrictions, with five deaths and thousands evacuated or rescued in one of the region's heaviest rainfall events.
- The UK and Ireland are bracing for two named storms in quick succession, raising the risk of flooding on already saturated ground.
- Super Typhoon Champi, of category 5-equivalent strength, threatens Taiwan, China and Japan over the weekend with extreme rain and high waves.
Background
Eastern Spain is prone to intense autumn rainfall, when cold air aloft meets warm Mediterranean waters and triggers slow-moving storms that can dump large volumes of rain in a short period. The UK and Ireland see a series of low-pressure systems each autumn and winter, and weather services have named the most severe ones to help communicate risk.
Champi is the latest in the western Pacific's typhoon season, which runs through the autumn. Storms of this type are powered by warm ocean waters and can maintain extreme winds for days.
Key Perspectives
Residents and emergency services in Valencia and Alicante: Authorities have prioritised getting people out of flooded areas, with about 500 rescues and 2,100 evacuations carried out. Locals now face a slow recovery as waters recede, and officials expect disruption to continue.
Communities across the UK, Ireland and northern France: They are in the path of Storm Austen and then Storm Boelo, with forecasters warning of damaging winds and heavy rain that could trigger flooding.
Travellers and communities in Taiwan, China and Japan: Authorities in Taiwan have closed schools and cancelled flights ahead of Super Typhoon Champi, which is expected to bring torrential rain to mountain areas and waves of up to six metres.
Critics and skeptics: The rapid succession of storms leaves little time for recovery between systems, and forecasters warn that heavy rain arriving on saturated ground increases flood risk. The typhoon's rainfall totals could also cause flash flooding and landslides.
What to Watch
- The track and intensity of Storm Boelo across northern Scotland on Saturday into Sunday.
- Super Typhoon Champi's approach to China and Japan and rainfall totals in northern and eastern Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday.
- How quickly Valencia and Alicante can return to normal after the heavy rainfall, with local disruption expected to persist.
