Roads have become rivers as floodwaters sweep away cars in Spain, trapping the masses as all trains to and from the country’s biggest cities are cancelled. 

Torrential rain unleashed travel chaos on the island of Ibiza, with dramatic footage showing locals and tourists trundling across the roads which have been engulfed by water thanks to Storm Alice.

The weather has ground public transport to a halt, with a trains travelling through the Mediterranean corridor from Barcelona and Valencia suspended until further notice. 

Footage shows torrents of brown water tearing through the streets and completely submerging vehicles in its path, while video shared by local media showed emergency services rescuing drivers trapped on a flooded motorway outside the town of Amposta. 

Other videos show six-figure Lamborghinis and motorbikes almost entirely covered in muddy water while four-by-four cars struggle to make their way through the torrent.

The storm has hit the Balearic party island after ravaging much of southeastern Spain this week, including Costa Blanca, which saw the country placed on high alert after officials warned of ‘extraordinary danger’.

It has prompted Spain’s weather agency AEMET to declare a red alert in the province of Tarragona, warning locals to brace themselves for 180 millimetres of rain in 12 hours. 

A spokesman for the Catalan fire service told local media people had been caught by surprise in Ibiza, with people trapped ‘inside vehicles, in buildings, [and] on ground floors.’  

Santa Barbara Mayor Josep Lluis Gimeno described the situation as ‘very tense.’ 

Torrential rain has unleashed travel chaos on Ibiza with footage showing fast flowing water

Cars can be seen almost submerged by the water following from the torrential downpour 

Images and footage shows cars struggling to make it through the deep waters 

Fast flowing waters have ravaged the island, leaving many people trapped in their cars  

Footage shows just how fast the water is flowing on some parts of the island 

Cars are pictures with water steadily rising up them as the flood waters continue to flow 

He said that local streams ‘are completely overflowing and have invaded the entire centre of the town, dragging everything there is, containers and cars.’ 

In the village of Godall, local Mayor Alexix Albiol told local media: ‘All the cars that were in the streets near the ravine were swept away and are distributed throughout the village.

‘I don’t believe anyone in the village has seen the amount of water that has fallen in such a short time.’

Elsewhere, internal areas of Ibiza Airport – which was entirely out of action for almost 90 minutes – were also closed off to travellers due to power cuts sparked by water pouring into the terminal on Saturday. 

Twenty-four hour flights were also cancelled from late afternoon onwards. 

Officials at Spanish airports authority AENA told local press: ‘Because of the adverse weather conditions in Ibiza, airport operations were temporarily paralysed between 6pm and 7.20pm.

‘During that time the runway was cleaned along with other areas that were affected by the storm.’

A luxury Lamborghini supercar found itself submerged as Storm Alice ravaged Ibiza

Revellers at the beach resort could also be seen running to shelter as the storm continued

The scale of the flooding was laid bare in footage resembling an apocalyptic movie rather than a holiday destination

Vans and four-by-four vehicles struggled to make their way through the flood-hit roads

Twelve of the flights said to have been cancelled were incoming flights and the other 12 departing flights, with British holidaymakers among those affected.

The main road to the airport was also rendered unusable in a repeat of the September 30 horror floods.

Educational, sporting and social activities in Catalonia are set to be suspended on Monday in five vulnerable regions. 

Residents are being urged to avoid travelling and to work from home.   

Ibiza Town’s mayor Rafa Triguero, confirming several road closures including main access avenues into the city said over the weekend: ‘All the council teams and services are working tirelessly to drain water and re-establish normality as soon as possible. The most important thing is that no-one has been hurt.’ 

As well as Ibiza Town, the holiday resort of Playa d’en Bossa and the towns of San Jose and Santa Eularia also suffered flooding. The neighbouring islands of Majorca and Formentera also experienced problems.

One local described the situation on the island as ‘devastating’.

Tourists reaching Ibiza on ferries were pictured stepping into knee-deep water as they got off the boat.

Before it caused problems in the Balearics, Storm Alice battered areas including Murcia on the Spanish mainland.

Spain’s Guardia Civil rescued people trapped in cars on flooded streets late into the night

The moment people trapped in their cars were rescued was captured on film 

On Friday the Foreign Office issued a warning to Brits planning to travel to Spain, warning of ‘severe’ weather conditions on its eastern coast

Internal areas of Ibiza Airport were also closed off to travellers due to power cuts sparked by water pouring into the terminal

Shops were seemingly forced to close early as a result of the devastating effects of the storm

Several people had to be rescued from their cars in coastal areas of the province including San Javier and Los Alcazares.

It also brought chaos among Britons holidaying and living in Spain’s southeast as they fought over the final supplies of alcohol in supermarkets.

On Friday the Foreign Office issued a warning to Brits planning to travel to Spain, warning of ‘severe’ weather conditions on its eastern coast.

‘Severe weather warnings are in place today in Murcia and Valencia, including the province of Alicante. Disruptions to travel are likely,’ it said in a statement.

It continued: ‘If you are in the affected areas, follow the advice of the local authorities and monitor local weather updates. If you are planning to travel, check for messaging from your travel provider or airline’.

Authorities are taking heightened measures as the storm comes nearly a year after widespread flooding in Valencia killed more than 200 people, Spain’s worst natural disaster in decades.

The catastrophe sparked public fury over warning systems and the emergency response.

Residents continue to protest, accusing officials of having failed to provide timely alerts.

Heavy rains lashed the region again last month, forcing the closure of schools and universities, disrupting rail and road travel and causing localised flooding.

Because a hotter atmosphere holds more water that evaporates from a rapidly warming Mediterranean Sea, climate change increases the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall in the region.

Almost 240 people died in the country after torrential rains last October triggered floods that swept through eastern and southeastern Spain.

The most severely hit area was Valencia’s southern suburbs where more than 220 people died.