Forecasts of heavy rain in central Spain have led authorities to shut down railway lines, cancel a football match and order citizens to stay indoors.
The country’s weather service has issued warnings for intense rainstorms in Madrid and surrounding areas on Sunday.
Spain’s state rail authority said the service between Madrid and the eastern coastal area of Valencia and other lines has been suspended.
Pedro Ruiz of Madrid’s emergency services said the city has activated protocols to prepare for flooding.
The agency said it sent text messages to Madrid residents with instructions to stay at home and avoid using cars.
Madrid mayor Jose Luis Martínez-Almeida called for people to remain off the streets to help emergency crews move with greater speed during what he said was expected to be “an exceptional and truly rare situation in terms of precipitation”.
Mr Almeida said the record for rainfall in Madrid from 1972 of 87 litres per square meter will most likely be broken with a forecast of 120 litres per square meter.
The Spanish football league said it postponed Atletico Madrid’s home game with Sevilla after considering the warnings from the weather service and the recommendation of Madrid’s municipal government.
The forecast of intense rain comes after Spain endured an intense heat wave and persistent high temperatures in August.
On Saturday, local media reported that police were investigating whether two people who died while practicing canyoning in northern Spain drowned.
