At least two people have been killed and nearly 200 injured as a severe storm with hurricane-force winds rocked parts of Spain. Hundreds of trees have been ripped up, cars overturned and homes and businesses damaged by “hard and hostile” weather on Sunday night and Monday morning.
The storm left fallen debris on the streets, crippled communication and transport lines, and caused thousands to lose power in their homes. Spain’s Ministry of the Interior said more than 6,000 incidents had been reported since the storm began.
In Madrid, at least two people were killed and more than 100 injured, while in Barcelona, a 13-year-old girl was killed after a tree branch fell on her.
The storm, named Elsa, was the second powerful storm to hit the country in two weeks. It follows Storm Miguel, which caused widespread destruction in the Basque Country.
The storm winds reached over 100 km/h in some locations, equivalent to a category 1 hurricane, according to Spain’s meteorological agency. More than 4,500 electrical power cuts were reported. In addition, hundreds of roads were closed due to broken trees and debris.
