Calling 112 in a weather emergency, including in English

Key rules

• 112: 112 is free, works 24 hours a day and works even without credit or a SIM card.
• Real emergencies only: Call only when life, health, property or the environment is at immediate risk; use other numbers for information.
• Location: Say your location aloud even though your phone sends one, because it is only approximate.
• Stay on the line: Do not hang up until the operator tells you to.

When to call 112

112 is Spain's single emergency number for police, fire, ambulance and civil protection. Call it when there is an immediate risk to life, health, property or the environment. In a weather emergency that means:

• people trapped or swept away by floods
• injuries
• fire
• collapsed buildings or fallen trees
• missing people
• anyone who needs rescuing

Calls are free and work 24 hours a day. They work even with no credit. Under European rules they also work without a SIM card, because the call goes through any available network. Without a SIM the operator cannot call you back, so say where you are and stay on the line.

Which number to use instead

Do not call 112 for forecasts, road conditions, power or water cuts without danger, or questions about alerts. That keeps lines free for real emergencies. Use these instead:

• AEMET for forecasts and warnings.
• 011 for traffic information from the DGT.
• Your utility company for power or water cuts.

Other numbers you may see:

• 091 is the Policía Nacional.
• 062 is the Guardia Civil.
• 092 is local police in many towns.
• 061 is health emergencies in many regions.
• 080 is local fire brigades in some cities.
• 060 is general government information.

Regional use of 061, 080 and 092 varies, so 112 is the safe choice in an emergency. After a disaster, insurance claims go through the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros on its 900 numbers.

Language

112 always answers in Spanish. Most regional centres also take calls in English, and often French, German or other languages, either directly or through an interpreting service. Regions with their own languages also answer in them, such as Catalan, Galician, Basque and Valencian. Coverage differs by region and time of day, so English is common but not guaranteed. If the operator struggles, speak slowly in short sentences and repeat the place name.

Give your location

On a smartphone, your location is sent automatically with the call, and the operator can also use the mobile network. Both are approximate. Always say the place aloud:

• the municipality
• the street, or the road and kilometre point
• landmarks and what you can see around you

Some regions have 112 apps that send your GPS position. In some regions 112 can send you an SMS link to share your location.

What to tell the operator

1. What happened and what kind of emergency it is.
2. The exact location.
3. How many people are involved and whether anyone is injured or in danger.
4. Your name and the number you are calling from.

Answer the questions you are asked and follow the instructions. Do not hang up until the operator says so, and keep your line free for a call-back.

Understand the advice you are given

• Stay indoors (confinamiento): stay inside a sturdy building, away from windows. Do not go out. In floods, do not go to basements or garages. Follow updates.
• Avoid travel: do not drive or move unless essential. Roads may flood or close. Never cross flooded roads or streams.
• Evacuate: leave the risk area when authorities order it. Use the routes and meeting points they indicate. Take documents, medicines and essentials. Do not go back until you are authorised.

What to watch out for

Calling 112 in a weather emergency: what to watch out for

• Calling 112 for information: Calling 112 to ask about forecasts, road conditions, alerts or a power or water cut with no danger blocks lines that real emergencies need. Use AEMET (Spain's weather agency) for forecasts and alerts, the DGT (traffic authority, phone 011) for roads, and your utility company for cuts. Call 112 only when life, health, property or the environment is at immediate risk, such as people trapped or swept by floods, injuries, fire, collapsed buildings or trees, or missing people.

• Vague location: If you only say the town or a general area, rescuers may take longer to find you. Give the municipality, the address or the road and kilometre, and any landmarks. Also say what happened, how many people are involved and whether anyone is hurt.

• Hanging up too early: If you hang up before the operator tells you to, or leave the line busy, they cannot ask questions or call you back. Give your name and the number you are calling from. Answer every question, follow the instructions and keep the line free.

• Misreading stay-indoors advice: If authorities tell you to stay indoors, going out or sheltering in a basement or garage can put you in danger, because these fill quickly in floods. Stay inside a sturdy building, away from windows, and follow updates. Do not go to basements or garages.

• Travelling when told to avoid travel: Roads and streams can flood or close fast, and driving through water is a common way people get trapped.

• Ignoring or undoing an evacuation: Going back early or leaving without a plan puts you in the risk area. When ordered to evacuate, use the routes and meeting points given. Take documents, medicines and essentials, and do not return until the authorities say it is allowed.

Weather alerts: quick answers

Will an emergency alert reach my foreign SIM or tourist phone?

Yes, alerts reach foreign SIMs and tourist phones in the affected area if the phone is compatible and its emergency-alert setting is on. The alert appears in your phone's own language settings, not by SIM nationality. Some older phones may not show it.

What does a yellow weather warning mean?

A yellow warning means the weather is not dangerous for most people but can be risky for some activities, such as hiking, camping, beach and sea activities or towing a caravan. Yellow warnings are common, so do not cancel ordinary plans. Check the forecast and watch in case it is raised to orange.

Will 112 answer me in English?

Yes, most regional 112 centres handle calls in English, but coverage differs by region and by time of day. 112 always answers in Spanish, and many centres also use French, German or an interpreting service. If you are not understood, speak slowly and give your location first.

Are weather alerts available in English?

Partly, because the national weather agency's website and app have an English interface, but much of the warning text is in Spanish. The colour-coded warnings map is understandable without language. Alert messages usually come in Spanish and any regional language, and many also include English.