King Charles 'utterly heartbroken' as deaths rise; police fear more bodies hidden

King and Queen 'utterly heartbroken' by loss of life

King Charles has written a letter to King Felipe of Spain offering his condolences for the "tragic loss of so many lives".

"My wife and I were utterly heartbroken to learn of the destruction and devastation following the catastrophic flooding in southern and eastern Spain.

"So many in the United Kingdom have strong, personal ties to Spain, and our nations are bound by so much that we have in common."

He said the King and Queen's "deepest possible sympathy are with all those who have lost loved ones and livelihoods this terrible week".

Parents plea for help finding missing daughter

Hundreds of missing persons reports have been filed with authorities.

Among them is Janine Mercado, whose father says he hasn't seen her in four days.

"I don't see anyone looking for her. I'm desperate," he said.

Breaking down in tears, her mother pleaded for help.

Spanish PM to address nation

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is due to address the nation this morning.

Local news agency Europa Press reports he will make a statement at 9.30am (UK time).

He will be chairing Spain's Crisis Committee on the effects of the flooding at Moncloa Palace later.

Anger at flood response grows - as survivors retell terrifying ordeal

Survivors of the devastating Spanish floods have told Sky News they feel lucky to be alive.

But they are angry they have not been given more support by the government, emergency services or the military.

They say they feel forgotten and have been left without power, food or water, despite living within a short drive of one of the biggest cities in Spain.

Instead, we have seen thousands of volunteers helping to clear up some of the towns that were devastated, while others have been left to rely on their own residents to deal with the extraordinary devastation.

"Tell the world that we have nothing," says one man as we talk in the town of Albal. There are growing calls for a nationwide protest against what is seen as the slow response of authorities.

But there are also mesmerising stories of survival. In Catarroja, we meet Arkait Iniguez, who returned from his high school in Valencia because of a warning of bad weather.

"At first I was in the water up to my knee," he says. He wanted to check on his grandmother, who lived nearby, but by the time he had reached her house, the water was rushing so fast it swept him away.

"The stream was so fast and the level rose. I grabbed the post of a traffic sign so I wouldn't get taken away. Some neighbours tried to help me - they threw me a rope, but it broke.

"I was there for 20 minutes. Something hit me - I think it was a car, but I can't be sure. And then the stream got less strong and I could jump on to a car."

100,000 volunteers register to help

Thousands of volunteers have gathered at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia city, ready to set off to the worst-hit areas of the region, reports Spanish news agency Europa Press.

Some 50 buses have begun departing, along with food and water.

The number of people who registered to help exceeds 100,000, according to the Valencian Community Volunteer Platform.

Army to deploy hundreds more troops

Spanish armed forces will deploy between 500 and 750 soldiers to the Valencia region today, according to reports.

Some 750 additional soldiers will help with rescues, removing debris and distributing aid, Spanish radio Cadena SER said.

But El Mundo put the number at 500, following another 500 yesterday.

Either figure would put the number of boots on the ground at more than 2,000.

42 litres of rain deluged town in 10 minutes

As experts crunch the rainfall data, new records are emerging.

Some 42 litres of rain per square metre fell in just 10 minutes in a Valencian town at the height of the storm.

That's the equivalent of 1.7 inches of water.

It was part of a record 179.2 litres per square metre (7.1 inches) in one hour in Turis, El Mundo cited the State Meteorological Agency as saying.

This broke the last record set in 2018: 159 litres in Vinaros.

Over the whole of Tuesday, Turis accumulated 618 litres per square metre - or 24 inches (two foot).

More deaths expected as number killed rises, minister says

The number of people killed by the floods has risen to from 205 to 207, according to interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

He told Spanish radio station Cadena SER: "It is reasonable to think that we will have more deaths."

But he said he could not accurately predict how many people were missing.

Emergency services have received calls from the relatives of 1,900 people that cannot be found, he said, but "that is mostly due to communication failures".

"In addition, people who finally find their relatives do not report it."

On the arrest of 39 people for looting, he said: "I am concerned about theft, but we have increased security, especially in commercial areas. 

"What does concern me are the values ​​of a society that acts like this at the moment."

-SKY NEWS