A red alert has been issued in Andalucia as severe rainfall and strong winds batter the west of the region.
The warning, issued by state weather agency Aemet, means there is an extreme risk to safety and affects the coastal area of Huelva.
Elsewhere, Sevilla remains on an orange alert, while parts of Cadiz, Malaga, Granada and Cordoba are on yellow warnings for heavy rainfall and storms throughout much of Wednesday.
Videos shared on X in the morning showed the moment suspected tornadoes tore through the Huelva towns of Isla Cristina and Gibraleon.
In the latter, a restaurant’s tables and chairs were filmed being flung into the air by the weather phenomenon, as punters and stuff ran for cover.
In Ayamonte, also in Huelva, a woman can be heard saying ‘no, no, no’ as her street fills with muddy floodwater.
Residents in Isla Cristina also claimed to have recorded the moment a tornado swept through the town.
The footage, shared on X, showed trees being blown backwards by a misty blast of wind, although footage of a tornado’s signature column formation has yet to emerge.
Scenes of floodings began in the early hours as six provinces were placed on various alerts for rainfall and winds of up to 80km/hr.
Video clips showed streets turned into rivers in parts of Huelva overnight, where an Atlantic storm was the first to hit.
Severe flooding has been recorded in towns like Magazon, where videos showed cars almost submerged underwater.
The province is one of three to have been warned of potential tornadoes and so-called waterspouts due to the extreme weather conditions.
The 112 Emergency service said in a post on X overnight that residents in areas under an orange alert should avoid travel wherever possible.
It came after Sevilla city closed all of its parks and the municipal cemetery ahead of the powerful storm expected on Wednesday.
The entire province has been placed on an orange alert by state weather agency Aemet between midnight and 9pm, upgraded from a less serious yellow warning.
Meteorologists predict up to 30mm of rainfall in an hour and winds of up to 80km/hr.
Sevilla City Council urged citizens to follow the instructions provided through official channels and to check road conditions before traveling and to exercise extreme caution.
Tornadoes not ruled out in multiple provinces
The Sevilla countryside is forecast to see 30 litres in one hour and 70 litres in 12 hours, and the formation of tornadoes is not ruled out.
Tornadoes and waterspouts may also be seen in Aracena, Andevalo, Condado, and the Huelva coast.
In Malaga province, the formation of tornadoes and waterspouts cannot be ruled out in Ronda, the Costa del Sol, the Guadalhorce Valley, and Axarquía, due to the atmospheric instability expected during the day.
The dramatic weather is due to the arrival of a low-pressure system located off Cape St. Vincent, according to state weather agency Aemet.
Spokesman Juan de Dios del Pino said the rains will be ‘persistent and consistent’ in the western part of the region.
Aemet has activated warnings for Wednesday in six provinces: Granada, Cordoba, Malaga (including the Costa del Sol), Sevilla, Cadiz and Huelva.
