Spanish authorities announced on Monday that at least three people have died and three others are missing as heavy rains caused severe flooding in central Spain, leading to the closure of roads and metro train lines, as well as high-speed train services. Emergency services reported that helicopters were dispatched to rescue people who sought refuge on the roofs of their houses in the Toledo area, located about 50 kilometers southwest of Madrid.
The sudden heavy rains, which began on Sunday and continued into early Monday, turned streets into rivers of mud, washing away cars and trash containers in regions including Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, and Valencia. Snow also fell in many areas. Two people died in the rural area surrounding Toledo, where the Spanish meteorological agency recorded a record level of rainfall reaching 90 liters per square meter on Sunday.
