Parts of Spain’s Valencia region hit by heavy rains and severe flooding almost two weeks ago returned to normal on Monday, with 47 schools reopening, the regional government reported on X.
The death toll stood at more than 220, while 32 people are still missing, according to a report from authorities on Sunday evening.
Rescue and clearing efforts continued in the worst-hit 80 municipalities around the regional capital, with nearly 20,000 police, troops and volunteers assisting.
In the wetlands of Albufera de Valencia, south of the regional capital, rescuers were still searching for victims using drones and echo sounding equipment, state broadcaster RTVE reported on Monday.
The Spanish state weather service AEMET predicted further showers over the Valencia region on Monday. From Tuesday, heavier falls are predicted in Catalonia around Barcelona in the northeast and in the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean.
On October 29, the Valencia region was hit by a ‘cold drop’, as often occurs in September and October, claiming the lives of 214 people in the region and another eight in Castilla-La Mancha in the west and Andalusia in the West. south.
The phenomenon is related to a large temperature difference between the sea and the air and occurs when the first Atlantic low-pressure troughs with cold air move over the warm Mediterranean Sea.
