Deadly Storm Batters Iberian Peninsula, Forces Mass Evacuation

A powerful storm dumping more than 40 centimetres of rain in 24 hours battered the Iberian Peninsula on Wednesday, killing one person, forcing thousands from their homes, shutting schools and disrupting transport across Spain and Portugal.

The victim, a man in his 60s, died in southeastern Portugal after being swept away by floodwaters while attempting to drive through a flooded area during Storm Leonardo. A spokesman for Portugal’s national civil protection authority said the incident occurred near a dam in the municipality of Serpa.

“A vehicle was found with one occupant, so there is one death,” the spokesman said.

Storm Leonardo is the latest in a series of extreme weather events to hit Spain and Portugal this year. Phenomena scientists said it was being intensified by human-driven climate change. Severe weather had already claimed five lives and injured hundreds in Portugal last week.

In Spain, the national weather agency AEMET placed parts of the southern region of Andalusia under the highest red alert, warning of “extraordinary” rainfall, flooding and landslides.

The mayor of Ronda, Maria Paz Fernandez, told public broadcaster RTVE that the ground had become saturated by relentless downpours, reporting “numerous landslides” in surrounding rural areas. Andalusia’s top emergency official, Antonio Sanz, described the situation as “very worrying,” particularly in the mountainous municipality of Grazalema.

According to AEMET, Grazalema recorded more than 40 centimetres (16 inches) of rain in a single day — roughly the amount Madrid typically receives in an entire year. An AEMET spokesman, Ruben del Campo, said the rainfall was highly unusual and dangerous.

Authorities evacuated around 3,500 people across Andalusia, where more than 650 incidents were reported. While most caused no serious damage, one person was injured in a building collapse, Sanz said.

Spanish police released footage showing submerged farmland and torrents of water sweeping through buildings and vehicles. Hundreds of soldiers were deployed to support rescue operations, and schools across Andalusia were closed, except in the eastern province of Almeria.

Transport was severely disrupted, with almost all suburban, regional and long-distance trains cancelled. Bus replacement services were also suspended due to widespread road closures.

Spain remains deeply affected by memories of its deadliest floods in decades, which struck in October 2024 and killed more than 230 people, mostly in the eastern region of Valencia.