HAILSTONES the size of golf balls and torrential rain hit Madrid yesterday (Thursday) causing traffic jams, grounded trains and flights, and flooding at Adolfo Suárez airport.
Much of the north of Spain has been suffering weather conditions more in keeping with a typical autumn than the usual sweltering July climes, and even the south and east coasts have been much cooler and more overcast than usual for the time of year.
But Madrid resembled a winter wonderland as a thick blanket of white caked the roads and parked cars, and led to gridlocks across the city when the heavens opened during the rush hour.
Tailbacks were also reported on the motorways leading out from the capital, with one so severe that a 32-year-old pregnant woman in labour had to be rescued by emergency services when her husband, who was driving, was unable to get out of the bottleneck on the motorway.
Wind and rain in the last 48 hours saw firefighters called out on at least 70 occasions to deal with crumbling building parts, fallen trees and branches, although nobody has been reported as injured.
Puddles on the floor inside the Line 7 metro stations of García Noblejas, Cartagena, Pueblo Nuevo and Barrio de la Concepción and even in parts of Madrid-Barajas airport were seen.
Underground trains at these stations were delayed by at least 25 minutes.
Four planes due to land at Adolfo Suárez airport had to be diverted to Valladolid further north, and Valencia and Alicante on the east coast, due to storms.
