The Spanish city of Almería was hit by a violent hailstorm last night, leaving cars destroyed and streets flooded. Massive golf ball-sized hailstones fell from the sky, smashing car windows and causing severe dents and chips in metalwork across the city. The storm also brought heavy rain, leading to flash floods in many areas.
Photos and videos posted on social media captured the aftermath, showing cars with shattered windows and large dents. One video showed nearly a dozen holes punctured in the rear window of a local resident’s car, highlighting the hailstorm’s destructive power. The city experienced a staggering 100mm of rain within 12 hours, with a peak downpour of 30mm in a single hour.
The hailstorm was part of a severe weather pattern affecting southern Spain. Other parts of the region, including Granada, Murcia, and Valencia, reported heavy rainfall. Dólar in Granada saw 148mm of rain, while Caravaca de la Cruz in Murcia and Carcaixent in Valencia recorded 104mm and 85.8mm, respectively.
In addition to hail damage, Almería’s streets were inundated, creating challenging conditions for residents and emergency services. Further south in Murcia, roads were transformed into torrents, with locals and tourists wading through ankle-deep water. In the city centre, firefighters worked around the clock, with some streets closed due to flooding.
The severe weather comes only months after similar storms hit Spain’s Costa Blanca in June, leaving streets submerged and rivers overflowing. However, holidaymakers on the Costa del Sol were spared the storm’s wrath, enjoying clear skies and temperatures of 26°C (78°F) in Marbella today.
Office worker Sally Jones, visiting from the UK, expressed her relief at the sunny weather. “I was in desperate need of sunshine. The weather’s been gloomy back home,” she said, adding that her friends on the Costa Blanca were regretting not joining her in Marbella.
Local authorities have yet to release an official estimate of the storm’s full impact on Almería, as cleanup efforts continue in the wake of the extreme weather.
