The Ribera region was one of the most affected. In Alzira, the City Council describes the episode as a true deluge of water and wind that lasted just under fifteen minutes, but brought gusts of up to 146 kilometers per hour. Damage has been reported to trees, businesses, homes, and the parish church of Santa Catalina.
The acting mayor of Alzira, Enrique Montalvá, explained that the Cecopal met in anticipation of meteorological warnings. The downpour, which occurred around one in the afternoon, was of an unprecedented intensity for the area. Municipal services have confirmed broken trees throughout the city, flying roofs of industrial warehouses, and the partial collapse of the Santa Catalina church roof onto an adjacent street and a home.
The parish priest of Santa Catalina, Enrique Masià, recalled a previous 'thermal burst' that caused trees to fall, but emphasized that yesterday's storm was 'spectacular' due to its impact on this 13th-century temple.
“"I was preparing lunch when I heard a very loud crash, during a moment of very strong rain and wind: the world was ending."
Amparo, a resident of the house affected by the partial collapse of the temple, recounted the frightening experience. The falling debris broke the street's wiring, leaving the area without power since yesterday.
Cullera also suffered intensely from the storms. The mayor, Jordi Mayor, reported that municipal services are working to restore normality. Wind gusts exceeded 132 kilometers per hour. As a preventive measure, parks and green areas will remain closed until their safety is confirmed.
The heavy downpour complicated traffic on several roads, such as the Cullera to Sueca highway, where visibility was very low. On urban roads, water accumulation caused flooding in numerous areas.
The storm was accompanied by a sharp drop in temperatures. In Cullera, the thermometer fell to 19.3 degrees Celsius, 16.7 less than the 36 degrees recorded 24 hours earlier.
The president of the Provincial Council of Valencia, Vicente Mompó, indicated that the Provincial Consortium of Firefighters concentrated most of its interventions in the Ribera region, with operations in Alzira, Carcaixent, and Guadassuar.
The Valencian countryside is also beginning to assess the consequences. The Unió de Llauradors i Ramaders, through its general secretary, Carles Peris, warned of damage to crops, particularly persimmons, due to the intense winds in the Ribera.
