Torrential rains forced the cancellation of famed Good Friday religious processions through Seville, leaving many faithful from around the world in tears in the southern Spanish city.

It is the first time since 2011 that all of the six night-time processions -- the highlight of Christian Easter Week -- were called off due to bad weather. The processions were suspended in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Known as "La Madruga", or "The Dawn", they start at midnight and end at dawn on Good Friday. They are organised by religious brotherhoods that spend months preparing for Easter week.

The parades attract tens of thousands of visitors who line the streets to watch the solemn event featuring hooded penitents.

The cancellation headlined television news broadcasts with scenes of people crying and embracing after learning of the last-minute decision.

Seville mayor Jose Luis Sanz said this year's "La Madruga" would be a "fleeting memory".

"There are 385 days left to experience it again on our streets during Holy Week in Seville in 2025," he added on X, formerly Twitter.

Spain's meteorological agency, AEMET, issued weather warnings for 14 of the country's 17 regions due to heavy rain, winds of more than 70 kilometers (40 miles) per hour, and rough seas.

Four people died on Thursday in three incidents on Spain’s Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts after falling into the sea.

Rain also forced the cancellation in recent days of other Holy Week parades in Spain, from Cadiz in the southwest to Zaragoza in the north.

"It was not to be this year," the head of the regional government of the southwestern region of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, said late on Thursday.

The rainy spell is forecast to last until at least Monday, putting in jeopardy more processions scheduled for the weekend.

But the storms are otherwise good news for Spain where several regions, notably Andalusia and Catalonia in the northwest, have been suffering from a prolonged drought.

Spain's two most populous regions, Andalusia and Catalonia have both prepared to import fresh water by boat if needed.

In Catalonia, the faithful have even held marches and masses to pray for rain after three years without significant rainfall.

Catalonia declared a drought emergency on February 1, imposing restrictions on the use of water in Barcelona and the surrounding area.

This year, Spain registered its hottest January since current records began in 1961, with temperatures reaching nearly 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in some regions.

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday when Christians mark Jesus's entry into Jerusalem followed just days later by his trial, crucifixion and death at the hands of the Romans, and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

In Spain, the week is characterised by dozens of parades which date back to medieval times featuring elaborate floats topped with life-sized statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

They are accompanied by hundreds of penitents, who traditionally wear flowing robes and have their heads covered by distinctive pointed hoods.