‘I went to Benidorm on holiday and it wasn’t people the streets were full of’

Bride-to-be Lauren Loughney visited Benidorm with her friends for her hen-do and was left gobsmacked as the Alicante city’s streets flowed with rainwater following a torrential downpour

A British holidaymaker has been left cursing her luck after opting to travel to Benidorm in September, believing her trip would be just as sun-kissed as it would have been in the height of summer. Bride-to-be, Lauren Loughney’s experience proved far from it as she took to TikTok to highlight the city’s dismal weather.

“Come to Benidorm they said, it’ll be hot still,” she joked in caption alongside her video. Lauren’s clip, recorded on the streets of the Alicante hotspot, saw rainwater gushing down the roads and pavements. Others donned ponchos as they attempted to make the most of their time in sodden Spain.

“This happened to us last year!” one frustrated TikTok user penned in response. “Streets flooded, thunder and lightning. Lasted about an hour and then was like nowt happened.”

A second person recalled: “This happened when I was there with my mum a few years back. We still talk about it today because at the beginning of the holiday I laughed at my mum for buying an umbrella there, then it chucked it down two days later!”

While a third declared: “Happened to us in October last year. Best thunder storm I’ve ever seen.”

To which Lauren joked in reply: “Yeah it was good. Once we were back at the hotel.”

However, after a fourth TikTok user expressed disbelief that a matter of just three weeks ago they were complaining it was “too hot,” 29-year old Lauren revealed it was “still really warm” and after two hours it was as if the downpour “never happened”.

Lauren later shared a follow-up post on TikTok featuring a photo montage of her time away with her pals.

“The absolute best time was had in Benidorm even with the bit rain we had,” she said. “Wouldn’t have wished for my hen party to have been any different.”

Earlier this week it was reported similar weather also hit other parts of Spain, including the Balearic region, where the government activated an emergency plan as extreme rain and winds of up to 62mph struck.

In Majorca, more than 22 litres of water per square metre reportedly fell in just 10 minutes and 34 litres in an hour, according to the delegate and spokesperson for the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) in the Balearic Islands, María José Guerrero.

Gusts of more than 90km-an-hour were also recorded leading to severe flooding, fallen trees and damage to boats and cars, including some left underwater.

The Met Office has advice for Brits considering a trip to Benidorm in September, which warns: “September is a good month to visit Benidorm, especially if you like swimming, as the sea temperature will be around 25°C and the water parks will still be open.

“However, this month is the wettest month of the year, so you can expect rain to be more frequent than at other times.”