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VIDEOS! Storm brings hail, flooding and 96km/h winds to parts of the Region of Murcia
Calasparra, Cieza and Abarán were among the worst affected as lightning also sparked a forest fire in Jumilla
¡#Tormentas localmente muy fuertes en puntos de interior del sureste #PenínsulaIbérica! Precaución. Esta tarde (10/08/2026), situación muy complicada en la RM-714 entre #Calasparra y #VentaDelOlivo (#Murcia). Más de 60 l/m² en corto intervalo horario. Vídeo vía Juanfran Alemán. pic.twitter.com/837fgLnHIC
— MeteOrihuela (@MeteOrihuela) August 10, 2026
A powerful storm swept across the Region of Murcia on Monday afternoon, August 10, bringing torrential rain, hail, strong winds and lightning to several inland towns and causing flooding, fallen trees and damage to buildings.
The Northwest, Altiplano and Vega del Segura were placed under an orange weather alert, while the Guadalentín Valley was under a yellow alert as the storm moved through the Region.
Calasparra was among the worst affected areas, with heavy rain, hail and strong gusts causing damage in the town centre. Trees and branches were brought down, while awnings, balcony sections, terrace enclosures, cornices and shutters were damaged by the wind.
A section of the RM-50 between Calasparra and Socovos was closed in both directions after a tree fell onto the road. Several dry riverbeds also began to overflow as large amounts of rain fell in a short period.
Cehegín also saw hail and heavy, intermittent rain, with strong winds bringing down branches along the Gran Vía. Meanwhile, the storm front reached parts of Campo de Cartagena in a weaker form, although downpours were reported in Torre Pacheco.
Así corría el agua por las calles de #Moratalla.
— Cristóbalrn (@Cristobalrn) August 10, 2026
📽️ Jesús Rodríguez "el palos" pic.twitter.com/mw02vamhUj
Cieza recorded 34 litres of rain per square metre, while 41 litres fell at the El Moro reservoir and 37.2 litres at the El Cárcabo reservoir. The rainfall caused several normally dry channels to overflow and washed debris onto roads including the N-301 near El Búho, the RM-B19 and the RM-520 between Cieza and Abarán.
Abarán was also hit particularly hard, with 35.2 litres per square metre recorded in just one hour. Torrential rain, hail and wind gusts reaching 96km/h turned sections of the town's ring road into rivers.
The storm was accompanied by intense electrical activity, with around 50 lightning strikes recorded every minute at its peak. One strike is believed to have caused a forest fire in the Cerro Maestre area of Jumilla, where forestry firefighters worked for several hours with support from aircraft to bring the blaze under control.
¡#Tormentas muy fuertes en puntos de interior del sureste #PenínsulaIbérica! Esta tarde (10/08/2026), #Calasparra (#Murcia). Incidencias asociadas a la lluvia, al granizo y al fuerte viento. La temperatura ha bajado unos 15 grados "de golpe", de 36,2°C a 20,4°C. Vídeo: @Gerolc4. pic.twitter.com/R0HxRFsQme
— MeteOrihuela (@MeteOrihuela) August 10, 2026
Farmers are now waiting to see whether the storm has caused significant damage to crops. Antonio Moreno, secretary of agriculture for UPA, said hail had been reported in areas including Caravaca, Calasparra, Abarán and Blanca.
He said the intensity of the hail appeared to have been low to moderate in most areas, although it was accompanied by heavy rain. The stone fruit harvest is now largely finished, which should limit losses, but some pears and other crops are still waiting to be collected in areas including Jumilla and Caravaca.
There are also concerns about possible damage to almond, olive and grape vines, particularly around Bullas. Much of the table grape crop is protected by hail nets, which could help reduce the impact.
Image: Mete Orihuela
