Barcelona - A rain and snowstorm in north-eastern Spain killed at least two people, RNE state radio reported Saturday.

A security guard went over the quay wall in his car in El Prat de LLobregat near Barcelona and drowned, the report said, while in nearby Sant Andreu, a diver died in heavy seas.

Waves up to five metres in height crashed into the Costa Brava.

Heavy snowfall had caused traffic chaos in Catalonia on Friday, with many highways unpassable.

The motorway on the French-Spanish border at La Jonquera had to be closed to traffic for a time.

In the Basque region, 54 vehicles crashed into each other during a hailstorm near Bilbao, resulting in 27 injuries. (dpa)