Powerful winds exceeding 100 km/h hit Spain’s Catalonia, causing injuries, school closures and flight cancellations at Barcelona’s airport.

BARCELONA: Powerful winds topping 100 kilometres per hour battered Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, injuring at least 25 people and causing widespread travel disruption.

Gusts reaching 105 km/h at Barcelona port toppled trees and walls, prompting dozens of emergency calls according to the regional civil protection agency.

Five people were hospitalised, including one with serious injuries.

Another 20 people required medical attention at the scene.

At Barcelona’s El Prat airport, Spain’s second busiest, 53 flights were cancelled and eight were diverted due to the severe conditions.

Some roads and rail lines were also disrupted by the storm.

Authorities in the region of around eight million residents suspended classes and non-urgent medical appointments.

They urged people to limit all movement until Thursday evening for their own safety.

The storm, named Nils, also hit parts of neighbouring Portugal and France.

Spain’s national weather agency issued a red alert for wind and high waves along the Basque coast.

In Portugal, flooding partially collapsed a highway viaduct between Lisbon and Porto.

In France, a truck driver was killed as southwestern regions faced red weather warnings.

 The Sun Malaysia