A powerful storm system has battered parts of Spain with thunderstorms and heavy rain and is forecast to intensify across the western and central Mediterranean, threatening Italy, the Alps and the western Balkans, authorities said on Tuesday.
The Balearic Islands, including Majorca and Ibiza, are expected to be among the hardest hit, with local rainfall of more than 200 litres per square metre raising the risk of floods and flash floods.
Eastern France, as well as western and southwestern Germany, also reported heavy rain early on Monday. The storm system is moving eastwards, bringing thunderstorms, hail and strong winds to Switzerland, northern Italy, southern Germany and Austria.
Italian authorities have warned of severe thunderstorms across much of the country, accompanied by high waves and gale-force winds. By Tuesday, the front is forecast to reach Slovenia and Croatia before spreading to Montenegro and other parts of the Adriatic coast.
The cold front, originating from the North Atlantic, is pushing cooler air across much of western Europe, from Spain and Portugal to the Alps. Temperatures in northwestern Spain fell close to 2°C in mountain areas, while coastal regions of eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands remained above 25°C.
Authorities across the region have issued weather alerts and urged preparedness, with more than 25 million people potentially affected.