There are queues at election precincts in Barcelona, several hours before the start of Sunday’s referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain.

Despite the heavy rain, hundreds of voters have assembled outside the polling stations in downtown of the Catalan capital city, they are waiting for them to open, and they plan to stop the police from shutting them, reported RIA Novosti news agency of Russia.

Voting will begin officially at 9am and will run until 8pm local time.