Although much of the news recently has been dominated by budgets and (potential) presidents, you may have heard some talk about storms and extreme weather recently. Hurricane season has been devastating for many Caribbean islands, storms Helene and Milton left communities in the south coast of the US without power for days, and now Spain has been hit by torrential rain and flooding.
The UK Foreign Office has a list of countries and locations it advises British travellers not to visit. Spain and the US aren’t on that list – more on the former below.
UK Foreign Office (FCDO) advises against travel to:
Europe
- Belarus do not travel
- Kosovo all but essential travel warning for significant parts of the country
- Russia do not travel
- Ukraine do not travel
Middle East
- Iraq do not travel and all but essential travel warning
- Iran do not travel
- Israel do not travel and all but essential travel warning
- Lebanon do not travel
- Occupied Palestinian territories do not travel
- Syria do not travel
- Yemen do not travel
Africa
- Burkina Faso do not travel and all but essential travel warning
- Cameroon do not travel and all but essential travel warning
- Chad do not travel and all but essential travel warning
- Central African Republic do not travel and all but essential travel warning
- Ethiopia do not travel and all but essential travel warning for significant parts of the country
- Libya do not travel and all but essential travel warning
- Mali do not travel and all but essential travel warning
- Mauritania do not travel and all but essential travel warning for significant parts of the country
- Niger do not travel
- Nigeria do not travel and all but essential travel warning for significant parts of the country
- Somalia do not travel and all but essential travel warning
- South Sudan do not travel
- Sudan do not travel
- Western Sahara do not travel warning for significant parts of the country
Americas
- Haiti do not travel
- Venezuela do not travel and all but essential travel warning
Asia
- Afghanistan do not travel
- Myanmar do not travel and all but essential travel warning for significant parts of the country
- North Korea all but essential travel warning; borders have not reopened since Covid
- Pakistan do not travel and all but essential travel warning for significant parts of the country
What’s going on in Spain right now?
The south of Spain has been the latest to be hit with extreme weather conditions, leaving more than 100 dead and many more injured. Although some of the water is now receding, the situation is ongoing and, in some places, worsening.
Choosing whether or not to cancel a trip, whether it was a holiday or to visit a friend or family member, is not easy, so we’ve compiled all you need to know before travelling to Spain so that you can make an informed decision that will, above all, keep you and your loved ones safe.
Some parts of Spain have seen severe flooding in the past few days, sweeping up streets full of cars, people, and debris. As of right now, it’s estimated that well over 100 people have died, but that number is likely to rise as torrential rain continues. The worst affected areas are in the south east Valencia region, although other southern cities like Malaga are also seeing severe downpours and flooding.
A man walks through a debris-covered street after flash floods hit the region in the Sedaví area of Valencia, Spain. Spanish authorities confirmed that at least 140 people had died, mostly in the Valencia region, amid flash-flooding followed heavy rain. 📸: David Ramos #DANA pic.twitter.com/j1szdWjD0y
— Getty Images News (@GettyImagesNews) October 31, 2024
The rain started on Tuesday (October 29), and in some places has rarely stopped since. Many homes have been destroyed or seriously damaged, and there will likely be knock-on affects to travel, particularly by rail or road, within the region for days or weeks to come.
Is it safe to travel to Spain?
The government has not issued an official warning against travelling to the country, although they have advised you to keep a close eye on the national meteorological society’s (AEmet) advice before you do.
With that in mind, today (October 21) AEmet have issued a red weather alert for the region of Castellón, stating, ‘Extreme danger! Do not travel in the area unless absolutely necessary!’ The regions of Valencia, Tarragona, and Teruel all currently have orange and yellow warnings, so even if flights aren’t cancelled it’s likely that any on-ground travel will be disrupted.
It’s worth noting that you likely won’t receive any money back if you cancel any upcoming trips to Spain because the government hasn’t issued an official ‘do not travel’ warning.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.