The once scorching heat and arid conditions that marked Spain’s driest start to the year have abruptly given way to relentless hailstorms, snow showers and bitter winds.
Eerie images of Los Palacios y Villafranca, nestled in the province of Seville, captured the fury of Mother Nature firsthand.
Cars were ruthlessly lashed with giant hailstones as powerful winds tore leaves from their branches, turning the city into a scene of wintry chaos.
One video showed a group of pharmacists standing in their shop, stunned by the force of hail in May after weeks of temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius.
Other shocking clips posted to social media highlighted the grim reality of how the sun-drenched streets turned into streams due to the deluge.
Meanwhile, in Asturias, a region known for its lush green landscapes, residents awoke to a startling sight as heavy snowfall blanketed the mountains.
Terrifying footage from Los Palacios y Villafranca, nestled in the province of Seville, showed hail slamming down and banging into cars
Cars were mercilessly lashed with giant hailstones as powerful winds tore leaves from their branches, turning the city into a scene of wintry chaos
Terrifying images from Los Palacios y Villafranca showed the severity of the hailstorm
The streets were carpeted in white after the bizarre weather in Los Palacios y Villafranca
Hailstones bounce off the sidewalk in Los Palacios y Villafranca while locals stayed safe inside
Shocking clips posted to social media highlighted the grim reality of how the sun-drenched streets turned into streams due to the deluge.
This unprecedented series of weather events is in stark contrast to the high temperatures that prevailed across the country a few weeks ago.
On April 27, Spain recorded its highest ever April temperatures – a whopping 38.7C – with the country on high alert for wildfires amid what was described as its worst dry spell ‘in a thousand years’.
The country was surrounded by warm, dry air from North Africa that boosted temperatures to “normal in summer,” meteorologists said.
But no such conditions were localized in April – this year in Spain, there was less than half the average rainfall in the first four months of the year, leading to almost drought-like conditions.
Now farmers who previously suffered from water shortages face the prospect of flooding and damage to their crops from hailstones.
The erratic weather patterns have left scientists and meteorologists confused and struggling to understand the dramatic shifts.
It comes just days after Italy’s Emilia Romagna region was devastated by widespread flooding that left at least 13 dead.
Rescue crews are still desperately working in several cities and towns ravaged by torrential rains and flooding as authorities begin mapping out clean-up and rebuilding plans.
The extreme weather behind this week’s disaster — a prolonged drought interrupted by 36 hours of intense rainfall two weeks after another downpour — led to two dozen rivers and tributaries bursting their banks.
The force of the water sent mudslides through entire cities in Emilia-Romagna, flooding storefronts and cellars.
Local mayors warned some remote villages were still in complete lockdown as landslides had rendered roads impassable and telephone service remained disconnected.
The sky-high temperatures were too hot even for sunbathers. Tourists in Seville tried to cool off at a fountain
An aerial photo shows partially submerged cars in a flooded area after a river overflowed in the center of Lugo, near Ravenna, Italy, on Thursday.
An aerial photo shows partially submerged cars in a flooded area after a river overflowed in the center of Lugo, near Ravenna, Italy, on Thursday.
The landslides have prevented rescue teams from reaching residents and authorities not understanding the full extent of their needs, Mercato Seraceno Mayor Monica Rossim said (Photo: Volunteers at work on Thursday)
Military officers assist a person on a dinghy after heavy rain in the Italian region of Emilia Romagna, in Faenza, Italy, May 18, 2023
A woman holds a dog carrier bag as she walks down a flooded street in the city of Lugo on May 18, 2023
The landslides have prevented rescue teams from reaching residents and authorities not understanding the full extent of their needs, said Mercato Seraceno mayor Monica Rossi.
“If it rains any more, the situation will be tragic,” Ms Rossi warned on Sky TG24, standing on a road with a section missing from a landslide.
The death toll rose to 13 after more bodies were discovered on Thursday in the hard-hit province of Ravenna, state television RAI reported, citing Ravenna prefecture.
Among them, a couple in their 70s was found dead in their flooded apartment in Russi after their son raised the alarm that he had lost contact with them.
Due to the horrific flooding, Sunday’s Formula 1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna was canceled on Wednesday. Officials, drivers and teams agreed that all available services should be mobilized to carry out rescues.
More than 10,000 people have fled their homes, some have been plucked from roofs or balconies by rescue helicopters, and others have been taken out by dinghies. A family with a 20-day-old baby was rescued Thursday morning, Cesena mayor Enzo Lattuca said.
Another stuffed their belongings into an inflatable pool, which they used to float down the thigh-high river of mud that used to be a street.
Italy was not alone in experiencing heavy rainfall, as parts of Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia also reported flooding and landslides requiring evacuations.