Storm Marta hits Spain and Portugal (representative picture)
Fresh storms and torrential rains battered Spain and Portugal on Saturday, triggering widespread flooding, evacuations and major transport disruptions across the Iberian Peninsula, just days after earlier storms wreaked deadly damage in the region.In Portugal, the latest weather system – dubbed Storm Marta – prompted authorities to deploy more than 26,500 rescue workers to deal with rising water levels, landslides and flood risks in several areas. Flood warnings remain in place in Portugal and neighboring Spain, with hundreds of roads blocked, rail services disrupted and thousands of residents forced to leave their homes.In Spain, southern regions, particularly Andalusia, are under an orange alert due to heavy rain and severe storms, while parts of the northwest are also facing severe weather warnings. Andalusia regional president Juan Manuel Moreno described the situation as “complex”, with dozens of roads cut off, rail traffic basically suspended and more than 11,000 people evacuated. The agricultural sector has been severely affected and the cost of repairing damaged infrastructure is expected to exceed 500 million euros.Authorities closed Cordoba’s historic Roman Bridge over the Guadalquivir River as a precaution, while Sevilla Football Club’s home game against Girona was postponed to ensure public safety. Residents evacuated from hard-hit areas such as Grazalema were placed in temporary accommodation, including stadiums in nearby cities.Bad weather has also disrupted civil life in Portugal, with three Portuguese cities postponing presidential votes scheduled for Sunday due to security concerns. Although flooding south of the Sado River has begun to recede, the risk of flooding remains at its highest along the Tagus River in the Santarem region.casualtiesThe storm claimed another life on Saturday, when a 46-year-old Portuguese emergency services volunteer drowned while trying to cross flooded areas near Campomayor in central Portalegre. Local media reported that the man became the first confirmed victim of Storm Mata after he encountered difficulties in strong flooding.The death toll from a recent series of storms continues to rise. Storm Christian killed five people in Portugal last week, while Storm Leonardo claimed another life earlier this week. Leonardo also forced the evacuation of about 1,100 people across the country, authorities said.Background: A series of deadly stormsSpain and Portugal have faced a series of unusually strong weather systems in recent weeks, with meteorologists citing increasingly unstable conditions in the region. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro described 2026 as a “particularly unusual year” characterized by “unusually violent” weather events.During the latest storms, dams across the country were forced to release as much water as Portugal consumes in a year in just three days, underscoring the scale of the rainfall, according to Portugal’s environment agency.The Iberian Peninsula is considered one of the regions in Europe most affected by climate change, with scientists warning that heatwaves have lasted longer and extreme rainfall has become more frequent in recent years. The recent storms have heightened concerns about increased weather volatility in southern Europe.The impact has spread beyond the peninsula, with Morocco also reporting severe storms in recent days, displacing some 150,000 people in the country’s northwest.
