El Campello shuts parks as 64 Alicante towns go on orange alert

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• The ADDA·Simfònica Alicante orchestra, with Carles Marín and Nayden Todorov, will play Dvořák, Saint-Saëns and Beethoven in 'Natura' at the ADDA as part of its 2026/27 season.
• Open-Meteo forecasts a high of 29 degrees in Alicante city on Thursday 1 October, with storms possible on the coast around Jávea.
• Hundreds of rail passengers were affected when Renfe suspended trains at Valencia's Estació del Nord and began moving medium-distance travellers by bus.
• In an opinion piece published by La Marina Plaza, José Jaime Pastor Tierra argues that the PP must explain its past planning policies in Calp before talking about the housing problem.
• Geographer Samuel Biener has criticised the use of the Es-Alert phone warning system in the Marina Alta for an orange alert, saying it should be reserved for imminent danger.

Today's essentials

El Campello shuts parks as 64 Alicante towns go on orange alert. On Thursday 1 October, El Campello's mayor, Juanjo Berenguer, ordered public parks and gardens, open-air sports facilities and the municipal cemetery to close because of an orange alert for strong wind and storms, elperiodic reports.

The decree was signed after a meeting of CECOPAL, the town's municipal emergency committee, with local security officials. According to cbnoticias, the sports facility affected is the El Vincle sports centre (polideportivo El Vincle). Schools and secondary schools in El Campello stay open, but elperiodic says all activities in outdoor areas of school grounds are banned. Cbnoticias adds two points that elperiodic leaves out: bars and restaurants are advised to remove terraces, tables, parasols and plant pots exposed to the wind, and parking is banned in the town's flood-prone areas.

The two outlets disagree on timing. Elperiodic says the alert period starts at 21:00, while cbnoticias reports closures from 14:00 until midnight, when the warning drops to yellow. Neither version has been confirmed. The decree also does not list any specific public event as cancelled, even though the original headline refers to suspended events.

The El Campello measures are part of a wider regional storm alert. Alicantextra says the AEMET has issued an orange alert for the north of the province of Alicante for very heavy rain and storms, with up to 50 litres per square metre possible in one hour. TodoAlicante puts the number of municipalities on orange alert at 64 and says the warning runs from 14:00 on Thursday 1 October to 23:59 on Friday 2 October. Further north, Infobae and Cope report an AEMET red alert, the highest level, on the coasts of Valencia and Castellón, with torrential rain of up to 250 litres per square metre in twelve hours from 18:00 on Thursday until about 02:00 that night. In Alicante city, actualidadvalencia and diariodealicante report that parks and Santa Bárbara Castle are also closed. These rainfall figures cover broad areas and are not measurements for El Campello.

What this means for you: if you live in El Campello, the parks, El Vincle and the cemetery are closed while the alert lasts. If your car is parked in a low-lying or flood-prone street, move it now. Your children still go to school, but they will stay indoors. If you planned a visit to Santa Bárbara Castle, postpone it. According to TodoAlicante, the orange alert for northern Alicante is due to end on Friday 2 October at 23:59.

Weather today

Warm and unsettled, with storms possible on the coast. Open-Meteo forecasts a low of 22 and a high of 29 degrees in Alicante city on Thursday 1 October, with light rain possible (23% chance) and wind up to 17 km/h.

Inland, Ibi will be cooler, between 18 and 27 degrees, but rain is more likely there (43%) and the wind lighter, up to 12 km/h. On the coast, Jávea will range from 23 to 27 degrees, with storms forecast, a 28% chance of rain and wind up to 16 km/h. Take a light raincoat rather than an umbrella if you are heading out, and check the AEMET warnings in the lead story before any trip into the hills or along the coast.

Transport & traffic

• Renfe suspends trains at Valencia's Estació del Nord. Hundreds of passengers were affected when Renfe suspended services at Valencia's Estació del Nord, and medium-distance travellers are now being moved by bus from Valencia, A Punt reports. If you planned to travel between the Costa Blanca and Valencia by train on Thursday 1 October, expect a replacement bus for at least part of the journey and allow plenty of extra time. Before you leave, check your train's status with Renfe, because the replacement buses mean longer and less predictable journey times.

Local news to know

• Trains to Alicante disrupted under the red alert. TodoAlicante describes chaos on trains heading to Alicante under the red alert, with evacuations and passengers transferred by bus.
• Expert criticises Es-Alert use in the Marina Alta. According to La Marina Plaza, Samuel Biener has criticised the use of the Es-Alert phone warning system in the Marina Alta for an orange alert, calling it a duplicate of AEMET warnings that should be kept for situations of imminent danger.
• Dvořák, Saint-Saëns and Beethoven at the ADDA. The ADDA·Simfònica Alicante orchestra, with Carles Marín and Nayden Todorov, will perform works by Dvořák, Saint-Saëns and Beethoven in 'Natura' at the ADDA as part of its 2026/27 season, AlicanteOut reports.
• 'Cómicas' at the Teatro Principal. 'Cómicas', a stand-up show featuring some of today's best-known female comedians and aimed at all audiences, is on at the Teatro Principal in Alicante, AlicanteOut reports.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow