Freak summer storms have once again battered parts of south-eastern Spain.
The wild weather on Thursday turned streets into rivers and produced a spectacular phenomenon known as a reventon humedo, or wet downburst.
Dramatic footage from Murcia showed torrents of muddy water surging through streets in Jumilla, sweeping around parked vehicles and inundating terraces after an intense burst of rainfall.
Local weather service MeteOrihuela reported that around 34 litres per square metre fell in just half an hour in the town.
Videos shared online showed floodwater racing through the centre, with outdoor tables and chairs surrounded by fast-flowing water as streets temporarily resembled rivers.
The violent weather came after warnings for thunderstorms were activated across swathes of eastern and south-eastern Spain on Thursday.
Winds of up to 92km/h
Jumilla was also hit by what MeteOrihuela described as a spectacular reventon humedo, with wind gusts reaching 92km/h in the Plaza de la Casa Jardin Rey Don Pedro.
A wet downburst occurs when a powerful descending current of air within a thunderstorm strikes the ground and spreads rapidly outwards, producing sudden and potentially damaging winds alongside heavy rainfall.
Unlike a tornado, the winds generally spread out from the point where the descending air hits the surface rather than rotating around a central funnel.
Another striking downburst was captured from Aviles, a district of Lorca, where footage showed an enormous grey curtain of rain descending from a dark storm cloud over the surrounding countryside.
The storms developed after days of punishing August heat across much of eastern Spain and formed part of a broader outbreak of severe weather affecting the Mediterranean side of the country.
Severe storms sweep eastern Spain
Weather warnings on Thursday covered parts of Murcia, Albacete, Alicante and Valencia.
Forecasters warned that the strongest storms could produce 30 to 40 litres of rain per square metre in an hour, large hail and very strong winds.
MeteOrihuela highlighted the corridor around Yecla, Caudete, Almansa and Villena as an area where particularly powerful storm cells could develop.
Further north, the storms became even more violent.
Parts of Valencia province were struck by a series of wet downbursts on Thursday, with winds reportedly reaching 149km/h in Sumacarcer and 143km/h in Alzira, according to measurements reported by the Valencian meteorological association AVAMET.
The extreme gusts brought down trees and caused other material damage, while part of the Santa Catalina church in Alzira was reported to have collapsed during the storm. Rail services were also disrupted after a tree fell onto the tracks.
The turbulent weather marks an abrupt contrast to the intense heat that has gripped eastern Spain this week.
