The death toll from flash floods in Spain has risen to 140, according to local media, as rescue teams continue to search homes and vehicles ravaged by the floods.

Communities in several regions of Spain are reeling from Tuesday’s flooding, with authorities saying many more people are still missing.

The worst-hit region was Valencia, where torrential rains flooded villages and left cars on top of each other in the streets.

On Tuesday, a storm system dumped a year’s worth of rain on parts of the country.

On Thursday, Spain’s national weather service issued new flood warnings for parts of the country.

On Thursday, rescuers were using helicopters to ferry survivors to safety, while backhoes and tractors were brought in to clear debris from the streets.

Floodwaters have washed away bridges and could disrupt the country’s rail services for several days.

“Unfortunately there are bodies in some vehicles,” Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente told Reuters.

Residents described seeing people climbing onto the roofs of their cars as floodwaters rose.

In some communities, up to three meters of water flowed into homes.

The system that caused Tuesday’s deluge in Valencia moved north, with the national weather agency AEMET issuing the highest alert level to the province of Castellón.

During a visit to a relief coordination center in Valencia, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned residents to stay home because of the alerts.

The floods that hit southern and eastern Spain were triggered by the DANA weather phenomenon, which climatologists say is becoming more frequent as the climate improves.

These are the worst catastrophic floods in Europe since 2021, when 185 people were killed by floods in Germany.

These are also the deadliest flash floods in modern history in Spain.

Reuters/AP