The weather system known as DANA Alice is battering Spain’s Valencian Community with torrential rainfall, leaving some areas with more than 100 litres per square metre in just twelve hours. The heaviest downpours have been recorded in parts of the Marina Alta and Safor counties, where persistent, extremely intense rain has caused localised flooding and disruption. In several areas, 40 litres per square metre have fallen in only half an hour.
“I didn’t know how to react and left my car outside the car park — I just hope nothing happens to it,” said David, a resident of Denia, speaking to Euro Weekly News.
According to data from Avamet’s network of weather stations, the highest accumulations as of 12:45 p.m. today were 111.6 l/m² in Vall de Gallinera and 101 l/m² in Sagra. Nearby, Vall d’Ebo registered 98.1 litres. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) reported similar figures across the region, with 54.4 l/m² in l’Atzúbia, 47 in Pego, 40.2 in Sagra, 33.2 in Vall d’Ebo, 29.4 in Vall de Gallinera, 25.2 in El Ràfol d’Almúnia and 19 in Benissa — all within just four hours.
To dangerous to drive
“In Pego we’re used to it. When it rains this much, we don’t go out on the road. It’s too dangerous in these conditions,” says Edu, a construction worker from Pego, to Euro Weekly News.
Aemet has explained that the heavy rainfall is not storm-driven but results from moist north-easterly winds forced upwards by coastal mountain ranges. This has led to sustained, high-intensity rainfall in Safor and Marina Alta. Further south, thunderstorm activity remains offshore, though forecasters warn that some cells could move inland later today, affecting the Baix Segura and Baix Vinalopó areas.
Locals stay alert
For Robert, the owner of a clothing shop popular with German customers, this kind of rain is nothing unusual on the Costa Blanca. “I’ve been living in Els Poblets for two decades and it’s always the same. But last year’s storm in Valencia put everyone on alert. That’s good — it helps prevent more deaths,” he told Euro Weekly News over the phone.
The Júcar River Basin Authority (CHJ) has reported “normal conditions” across reservoirs and watercourses so far, with no threshold exceedances. However, officials caution that there remains a significant risk of flash flooding and sudden river surges, urging residents to exercise “extreme caution”.
Aemet forecast, the best source
Radar imagery from Aemet indicates that the most intense precipitation is currently concentrated in the Costera region of Valencia province and in the Bajo Vinalopó and Marina Baixa areas of Alicante. In Llutxent, rainfall totals have surpassed 40 litres per square metre in a single hour, exceeding 100 over the past eight hours. Other municipalities, including Almiserà, Beniflà and Palma de Gandia, have also seen more than 30 litres in the last hour alone.
The adverse weather has led to several cancellations and safety measures across the region. The Love to Rock festival, scheduled for 10–11 October in Valencia, has been cancelled due to the ongoing storm, organisers confirmed in a statement. In Javea, two trees have fallen—one in Alfàbega and another in Calablanca—prompting the local emergency committee (CECOPAL) to suspend all outdoor activities, close parks, beaches, gardens, and the local cemetery.
Rain continues to fall heavily in the area between Gandia and Alcoy, where DANA Alice has lingered throughout the morning. In Gandia itself, the usually dry ravine now carries a substantial flow of water, though still below critical levels. Several municipalities, including Castellonet de la Conquesta, Vall de Gallinera, Beniflà, Miramar, Sagra and Vall d’Ebo, have now surpassed 100 litres per square metre in twelve hours. Heavy downpours also persist in Gandia and Xàtiva, with localised flooding and disruption expected to continue into the night.