Avd Mediterraneo on Friday lunchtime

Two British pensioners died during a sudden freak flash flood which swept over Benidorm yesterday lunch time. The couple aged 70 and 72 ran a tea & coffee stall at the weekly La Cala street market and were washed away by the torrential downpour - six others have been slightly hurt. The Guardia Civil and emergency services attended the scene but there was little that could be done.

Literally like a river through the middle of Benidorm!

Derren Litten, writer of the ITV hit comedy series "Benidorm"  said "The flash floods in and around Benidorm are like nothing I've seen anywhere in the world. Literally rivers flowing down streets"

 For people living here it is not an unusual occurance, especially at this time of the year. The drainage system simply cannot cope with the sudden amount of water falling in such a short space of time. 40 litres per square metre fell within the hour.
 "Roads in Benidorm are built for heat not water" said Derren after he came off his scooter.

I was in Benidorm when the rain started and had to wait in my car for it to subside before continuing to drive it was that bad. People huddled together and were sheltering in shop doorways waiting for the worse to pass - and that was a good half hour.

Yet only 5km away in Alfaz there were only afew drops of rain - not even enough to water the garden.
Living between the mountains and the sea in this micro-climate weather conditions can change at an instant - and as can be witnessed from these pictures, often do. By late afternoon people were back on the beach in Benidorm !