British tourists travelling to Spain are being issued a stark warning that the remains of Hurricane Gabrielle are sweeping the country, with red weather warnings in place. The  torrential rain will bring with it damaging wind gusts and enormous waves.

Forecasters are warning that large swathes of Valencia, Castellon and northern Alicante could see up to 200mm of rain in just 24 hours, with some mountain areas at risk of even higher totals. Some areas could even see more than 300mm, highlighting the potential for serious flooding. The heaviest rainfall is expected from tonight, Sunday September 28 through to Monday morning, when storms are predicted to stall over the coast.

Aemet, the State Meteorological Agency, for Spain has issued alarming weather maps for Valencia with red weather warnings covering the city.

Red warnings are in place for today and tomorrow until midnight. On Tuesday weather warnings remain in place but the alert will drop in severity to a yellow one.

In a statement on X AEMET said: “Warnings are active today and tomorrow in the Valencian Community for rain and thunderstorms. Maximum warning level: red.”

The extreme alert means that along the coast 140mm of rain can fall in just 12 hours or 40mm in one single hour.

Inland, the threshold is slightly lower at 100mm in 12 hours, meaning flash floods could hit areas such as Requena or Cofrentes.

Locals are being urged not to drive through flooded roads, to keep upto date with emergency updates and to prepare for possible power cuts or transport disruption.

Local governments in Valencia and surrounding municipalities have suspended classes, while Aena, Spain’s airport operator, issued a statement on social media urging passengers to remain vigilant.

“We recommend that you take extra precautions when travelling. If you are planning to fly, please check the status of your flight with your airline,” Aena wrote in a post on X.

Aemet said in a statement: “Monday, the 29th, and Tuesday, the 30th, will be the most challenging days of this weather event. From early in the morning, we expect locally heavy or very heavy thunderstorms, which will persist throughout the day, affecting the Valencian Community, and spreading to other areas in the southeastern interior during the afternoon.”