Sawt Falasteen - Four missing as torrential rains slam Spain

Raging flood waters swept through the town of Letur in the eastern province of Albacete, pushing cars through the streets, images broadcast on Spanish television showed.

Emergency services workers are looking for "three or four people" who are missing in the wake of flash floods, Letur Mayor Sergio Marin Sanchez told Spanish public television.

"Some people were in a vehicle and others were at home," he said, adding he did not have further details.

Police in the town of L'Alcudia in the eastern region of Valencia said they were looking for a truck driver who has been missing since early afternoon.

National rail infrastructure operator ADIF said it had suspended high-speed trains between Madrid and the eastern port of Valencia due to the effects of the storm on main points of the rail network" in the Valencia region.

A high-speed train with 276 passengers derailed in the southern region of Andalusia, although no one was injured, the regional government said in a statement.

Emergency services rescued scores of people in Alora in Andalusia, some by helicopter, after a river overflowed.

State weather agency AEMET declared a red alert in the Valencia region and the second-highest level of alert in parts of Andalusia. Several roads were cut in both regions due to flooding.

Scientists warn that extreme weather such as heatwaves and storms is becoming more intense as a result of climate change.

A.Suleiman--SF-PST