A severe storm swept across Asturias in northern Spain on Thursday afternoon and evening, causing widespread flooding, traffic chaos, and major structural damage.
The most dramatic destruction occurred shortly after 4:00 p.m. in the coastal town of Antromero, located within the Gozón municipality, where an intense atmospheric event hit houses, agricultural facilities, vehicles, and street furniture.
High winds tore off or displaced several roofs, damaged greenhouses, and knocked down trees across the locality. Impacting stones and flying roof tiles broke windows on several vehicles parked in the area.
Among the hardest hit structures was the public swimming pool of the Peñes Community of Municipalities, which suffered extensive damage to its roof. Municipal officials reported no injuries, as the facility was closed when the incident occurred.
Spain's State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, said it has not yet confirmed whether the event was a low-intensity tornado or a wet microburst. The agency noted that Antromero lacks its own weather station to record precise data, though witnesses and forecasters confirmed a sudden downpour accompanied by powerful wind gusts.
Gozón is a coastal municipality in Asturias, a region in northwestern Spain bordered by the Cantabrian Sea. While maritime weather systems frequently bring rain to the region, localized wind phenomena of such intensity remain uncommon along the coast.
Severe flooding in Oviedo
In Oviedo, the regional capital, intense rainfall caused heavy surface flooding across multiple neighborhoods. Floodwaters rushed into the Ventanielles district and flooded the area surrounding the Sports Palace, where water inundated the indoor parquet court.
Runoff created deep pools of standing water on Uría Street, where floating dumpsters were pushed along the roadway during a storm accompanied by hail. Weather records showed 8.4 liters of rain per square meter fell in just ten minutes, reaching 11.6 liters per square meter in one hour.
Water accumulation also damaged property in La Argañosa, La Florida, and Ciudad Naranco, as well as an industrial building at the historic La Vega Factory complex. The damage forced organizers to postpone the opening of the LINK cultural festival, which had been scheduled to start on Friday.
Oviedo is the historical capital of the Principality of Asturias, where former industrial infrastructure such as the La Vega arms factory is regularly repurposed for regional arts and community events.
Impact in Avilés and Corvera
In Avilés, the Meanas area was among the worst affected, receiving more than 10 liters of rain per square meter in less than an hour. The downpour overwhelmed city drainage systems, created severe traffic delays, and flooded the dressing rooms at the Suárez Puerta football stadium.
Localized flooding was also recorded across the neighboring municipality of Corvera during the course of Thursday afternoon.
Meteorological experts explained that the urban flooding across Asturias was driven by the speed with which rain accumulated rather than the total volume. Experts added that the Antromero storm resulted from a specific collision of warm, humid surface air with cold air at high altitude, creating localized and highly concentrated wind shear.
