Helicopters were sent to rescue people who had sought refuge on the roofs of their homes in the Toledo area some 50 km (31 miles) southwest of Madrid, emergency services said.
The sudden downpour on Sunday and early Monday transformed streets into rivers of mud that swept away cars and trash bins in Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, and Valencia regions. Hail also fell in many areas.
Three people died in the countryside around the central city of Toledo, where the weather service AEMET registered record rainfall of 90 liters per square meter on Sunday.
One of the victims was a young man who was trapped in a lift that filled up with water, while another was inside a vehicle when it got flooded, police said.
The third person who died was a 50-year-old man who had been reported as missing. His body was found in the afternoon floating in a river near his home in the town of Camarena.
"It just kept raining and we were a little scared, but we were indoors so we were safe," said Isabella Stewart, a US missionary living in Toledo as she was taking a bus.
Another Toledo resident, Ruben Gonzalez, said, "I live four blocks away and it was very strong. Everything is flooded. This is crazy."
Later on Monday, AEMET said the cut-off low phenomenon - also known as weatherman's woe - that had caused the downpour was starting to move away from the country.
RHM/PR
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