Gusts of wind battered the stage of the Medusa Festival, a six-day dance music event near the Spanish city of Valencia, early Saturday, regional emergency services said. About 40 people had to be taken to hospital, three of whom were seriously injured, regional health services said. The national weather service AEMET reported strong overnight wind gusts of up to 51 mph at Alicante airport in the Valencia region. “We are completely devastated and saddened by what happened this morning,” organizers said in a statement on the festival’s Facebook page. They said unexpected and “violent high winds” damaged areas of the festival at around 4am and that the “exceptional” weather had damaged various infrastructure at the festival site. Organizers added that the festival has been suspended for the time being and management had to evacuate the concert venue in the east coast town of Cullera, south of Valencia, for security reasons. National broadcaster TVE showed images of strong gusts of wind battering people’s tents in the middle of the night.
