Violent hailstorm causes raging flash floods outside of Madrid
A violent hailstorm buried parts of Spain in ice Monday evening, wreaking havoc across the country's eastern region.
Photos and videos shared across social media depict the town of Arganda del Rey, located about 20 miles outside Madrid, in a state of chaos as raging floodwaters swept cars and other debris through the streets.
The dangerous weather pattern resulted in multiple flights being diverted from Madrid's Barajas International Airport, as well as delays and suspensions across the city's underground metro system.
Scenes from the storm:
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Madrid region, said firefighters responded to more than 200 calls in the storm's aftermath, which left homes and shops throughout multiple cities filled with ice and water, The Guardian reports.
However, meteorologist Benito Fuentes told Spanish outlet El Pais that despite the storm's severity, patterns such as this are not uncharacteristic for August.
"The rain has been fairly heavy but it is not unusual for this time of the year. At the end of summer, the atmosphere is unstable, which causes air to rise for dynamic reasons, not thermal ones," Fuentes said. "This leads to quite strong rainfall and storms."
The incident is reminiscent of the June hailstorm that pelted Guadalajara, Mexico, trapping vehicles in up to three feet of ice and slush.
"I've never seen such scenes in Guadalajara," said State Governor Enrique Alfaro following the wild summer storm. "Then we ask ourselves if climate change is real. These are never-before-seen natural phenomenons. It's incredible."
