73 litres in two hours: Homes flooded & walls collapse in Granada villages in Friday storms

Sudden thunderstorms battered inland Granada province on Friday afternoon, leaving flooded homes, collapsed walls and messy streets in their wake.

Heavy rain hammers Puebla de Don Fadrique

The inland village of Puebla de Don Fadrique and its hamlet of Almaciles took the worst of it. A Suremet amateur weather station clocked 73 litres per square metre in two hours. Water tore through the streets, flooding ground floors of houses and toppling walls as it raced downhill. Stones and debris got swept along, with some asphalt even lifting in places. Videos later did the rounds showing streets turned into temporary rivers.

Council and emergency services swing into action

Puebla de Don Fadrique town hall activated its local emergency plan straight away. Local police, Guardia Civil, firefighters, council workers, road crews and volunteers all piled in to clear the worst-hit spots and keep people safe. Mayor Jesus Fernandez publicly thanked everyone involved, from the emergency services to local firms and residents who lent a hand. The massive cleanup continues today, Saturday, while staff start assessing damage to roads, paths and other infrastructure. Help will be sought from Granada Provincial Council, the Andalucian regional government and the Spanish government in the coming days.

¡#Tormentas localmente muy fuertes o torrenciales en puntos de interior del sureste #PenínsulaIbérica! Esta tarde (07/08/2026), hasta 73 litros por metro cuadrado en #PueblaDeDonFadrique (#Granada). Calles anegadas, abundante granizo y fuerte viento. Vídeo: Ángel Sánchez. pic.twitter.com/9BdlWKuVXt

— MeteOrihuela (@MeteOrihuela) August 7, 2026

Hail and water problems reach Alicun de Ortega

A separate storm hit the area around the village of Alicun de Ortega later on Friday, bringing heavy hail and more intense rain. Some homes saw flooding after drains blocked, and water pooled on the GR6101 road that links the village to the A92N. All damaged roads have been reopened since.

These were isolated storms rather than a widespread system, and typical shocks that come during extreme heat in August. Most of Granada province, including the city and the Vega, stayed largely clear of serious problems. Residents can check the latest official updates via Spain’s weather service AEMET.

Dry, hot weather is expected to return across much of the province this weekend, though surprise isolated mountain showers cannot be ruled out anywhere.

Recopilando todavía datos de la espectacular tormenta que afectó ayer en La Puebla de Don Fadrique estamos ya atentos a la situación de mañana domingo que podría dejar lluvias intensas en el norte de Almería y zonas del centro de la Región de Murcia.

Se activan avisos nivel 🟡 pic.twitter.com/9ilW9LXeF4

— AMETSE (@MeteoSE) August 8, 2026

The rain in Spain today

Heavy rain and strong storms today (Saturday, August 8) are mainly expected in northern and northeastern parts of the country, according to AEMET (Spain’s State Meteorological Agency) and current forecasts.

Main areas with the highest risk (including orange-level warnings for significant danger in some zones):

• Cantabria: Orange warnings for storms (possible large hail and very strong wind gusts) on the Cantabrian coast and inland areas such as Centro y valle de Villaverde, generally from mid-afternoon (around 16:00) into the evening.
• Castilla y Leon: Orange alerts for heavy rain and storms in the Cantabrian range and northern Burgos (possible large hail and strong winds). Yellow-level storm risks also cover other parts of the region (e.g., parts of Palencia and Valladolid).
• Navarra: Orange warnings for storms/rain, especially on the Cantabrian slope and Pyrenees.
• Catalonia: Orange warning for heavy rain (up to 30 mm in one hour) in the Lleida Pyrenees.
• Strong showers and storms also expected in the western half and Pyrenees more broadly, with possible hail and strong winds.
• Aragon: Mind out if you’re driving towards the Pyrennes as intense showers and storms are possible in the northern half and eastern Teruel, with hail risk.
• Other northern/northeastern zones (e.g., parts of La Rioja, eastern Cantabrian fringe, northern Comunidad Valenciana, and mountain areas) may see strong local storms or heavy showers, some with hail.

Storms are most likely from the afternoon onwards as convective cloud develops. Rainfall rates can be high in very short periods in the warned zones.

Much of the rest of Spain (including most of the south, centre, and Mediterranean coast outside the northeast) is expected to stay largely dry and roasting hot all weekend, with high temperatures the main concern (orange heat warnings in parts of Andalucia). Isolated mountain showers remain possible in some eastern or southeastern interior spots but are not the primary focus.