We heard from residents of Sedavi, in Valencia, where roads are blocked with mud and vehicles piled up.

Eliú Sánchez says that at one point he saw a young man swept away by the water: “He was on top of a car, it looked like he tried to jump into another car, but he was swept away.

“I was told that people were clinging to trees, but the force made them let go and they were taken away, calling for help.”

Another resident, Julian Ormeño, says he doesn’t think the authorities have done enough to help.

“I didn’t see the police, the mayor, nobody else – nobody came to show their face,” he says. “They raised the alarm when the water was already here. There was no need to tell me that the flood was coming.”

• For context: There was some anger from locals and officials that the flood warnings came too late. Flooding hit Valencia and the southern region of Spain overnight on Wednesday after heavy rain.