While Storm Bert wreaked havoc in the Scotland with snow, wind, and rain this weekend, one of Britain’s most beloved holiday hotspots faced similarly grim weather.
Spain’s usually sun-drenched Costa Blanca suffered a serious downpour on Saturday (November 23), leading to overflowing drains and flooded streets.
Local YouTuber ‘Benidorm by Ana’ captured the surprising turn of events in Albir, a town 10 minutes from Benidorm. In her footage, she remarked on the stark contrast between the “cloudy and partially sunny” forecast and the torrential rain that unfolded.
She walked around the town at 11am but said it had been raining “non-stop” since 5am. Ana, like other residents seen in the video, navigated the streets with an umbrella.
Highlighting the rarity of such a downpour, she said: “Many people probably won’t get why we are so excited about the rain, why we are heading outside, why we are filming it. But take into consideration that in our area, having such a rainstorm is not a common thing at all. We enjoy it like the British enjoy a day of sunshine back in their home country. That would be approximately the same.”
As she made her way towards the beach, Ana noted how the rain water had formed “small rivers” on the roads, flowing down towards the Mediterranean Sea. Roads close to the beach were overflowing with water, which then made its way onto the sand.
She said there was “literally no one” apart from her at the beach – and it’s easy to see why. She did however note how there were a few people “hiding” in tapas restaurants and bars.
Ana also showed a point at which all the rain water flowed into the sea in a makeshift mini river, coming from a dried river bed that runs through Albir. “This is why we almost never get big floods here,” she explained. “Just look at how fast it goes into the sea.”
At the end of her video, Ana showed a manhole cover that had been pushed out of place by water. She said: “This is insanity, my God. I’ve never seen the cover of the sewage just being pushed by the water like that.”