Storm Leonardo unleashed more than 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) of rain in 24 hours across parts of the Iberian Peninsula, killing one person in Portugal, forcing thousands from their homes in southern Spain, shutting schools and canceling trains.
In Portugal’s Alentejo region, a man in his 60s died after being swept away as he tried to drive through floodwaters near a dam in the municipality of Serpa, a spokesman for the national civil protection authority said. “A vehicle was found with one occupant, so there is one death,” the spokesman said.
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Spain’s Andalusia region bore the brunt of the downpours, with emergency services reporting around 3,500 people evacuated and more than 650 incidents recorded. One person was injured in a building collapse. The state weather agency, AEMET, forecast up to 35 centimeters of rain in 24 hours around the mountainous municipality of Grazalema, while rivers including the Guadalete and the Guadalbullón overflowed their banks in multiple locations.
“The ground can no longer absorb” the relentless rain, Maria Paz Fernández, the mayor of the city of Ronda, told public broadcaster RTVE, citing numerous landslides in surrounding rural areas. Andalusia’s top emergency official, Antonio Sanz, called conditions “very worrying” as authorities expanded evacuations and flood defenses.
Hundreds of soldiers were deployed to assist rescue services. All schools across Andalusia were closed except in the eastern province of Almería. State rail operator Renfe canceled almost all suburban, regional and long-distance trains in the region, warning there were no replacement buses because dozens of roads were impassable. Police released footage showing torrents of water surging through fields and streets, inundating buildings and vehicles.
In Portugal, emergency services responded to more than 3,300 incidents since Sunday—mostly flooding, fallen trees and landslides—according to the Civil Protection authority. More than 11,000 personnel were mobilized nationwide, and about 200 residents were evacuated in central Portugal. In Alcácer do Sal, south of Lisbon, the Sado River burst its banks, submerging the town’s main avenue. Authorities said the Lisbon region and the Algarve in the south were among the most affected, with rain and wind expected to peak overnight into the following day.
Tens of thousands of customers remained without power after last week’s Storm Kristin, which killed five people and injured hundreds in Portugal. Leonardo is the latest in a string of storms to batter Spain and Portugal this year.
Scientists say human-driven climate change is worsening the intensity, frequency and duration of extreme weather across the Mediterranean, including flood-producing storms. In October 2024, Spain suffered its deadliest floods in decades, with more than 230 people killed, mostly in the eastern region of Valencia.
Authorities across both countries warned that saturated ground and swollen rivers could produce additional flash flooding and landslides as bands of heavy rain continue to sweep the region overnight.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
