Kamal Ghorui
Storm Marta batters Spain and Portugal (Representative image)
Fresh storms and torrential rain battered Spain and Portugal on Saturday, triggering widespread flooding, evacuations and major transport disruptions across the Iberian Peninsula, just days after earlier storms caused deadly damage in the region.In Portugal, the latest weather system — named Storm Marta — prompted the deployment of more than 26,500 rescue workers as authorities responded to rising waters, landslides and flood risks across several regions. Flood alerts remained in place in both Portugal and neighbouring Spain, where hundreds of roads were blocked, rail services disrupted and thousands of residents forced to leave their homes.In Spain, southern regions, particularly Andalusia, were placed on orange alert amid heavy rain and violent storms, while parts of the northwest also faced severe weather warnings. Andalusia’s regional president Juan Manuel Moreno described the situation as “complex”, with dozens of roads cut off, rail traffic largely suspended and more than 11,000 people evacuated. The farming sector has been severely affected, with repair costs for damaged infrastructure expected to exceed 500 million euros.Authorities closed the historic Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir river in Cordoba as a precaution, while Sevilla Football Club’s home match against Girona was postponed to ensure public safety. Evacuated residents from hard-hit areas such as Grazalema were sheltered in temporary accommodation, including gymnasiums in nearby cities.The severe weather also disrupted civic life in Portugal, where three municipalities postponed a presidential vote scheduled for Sunday due to safety concerns. The risk of flooding along the Tagus river in the Santarem region remained at its highest level, although waters further south along the Sado river had begun to recede.CasualtiesThe storms claimed another life on Saturday when a 46-year-old volunteer member of Portugal’s emergency services drowned while attempting to cross a flooded area near Campo Maior in the central Portalegre district. Local media reported that the man encountered difficulties in strong floodwaters, becoming the first confirmed victim of Storm Marta.The death adds to a growing toll from a series of recent storms. Storm Kristin killed five people in Portugal last week, while Storm Leonardo claimed another life earlier this week. Authorities said Leonardo also forced the evacuation of around 1,100 people across the country.Background: a deadly series of stormsSpain and Portugal have faced an unusual succession of intense weather systems in recent weeks, with meteorologists pointing to increasingly volatile climatic conditions in the region. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro described 2026 as a “particularly unusual year” marked by “exceptionally violent” weather events.According to the Portuguese Environment Agency, dams across the country were forced to release a volume of water equivalent to Portugal’s annual consumption within just three days during the recent storms, highlighting the scale of the rainfall.The Iberian Peninsula is considered one of Europe’s regions most exposed to climate change, with scientists warning of longer heatwaves and more frequent episodes of extreme rainfall in recent years. The latest storms have reinforced concerns about growing weather volatility across southern Europe.The impact has extended beyond the peninsula, with Morocco also reporting severe storms in recent days that displaced around 150,000 people in the country’s northwest.
