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Spain and Portugal reel from the impact of Storm Leonardo
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Spain and Portugal are dealing with heavy storms. Storms Leonardo and Marta caused severe flooding. Hundreds of thousands of people left their homes. Emergency workers and military teams work every day. They rescue residents trapped inside their houses. People in dangerous areas get urgent warnings. They must leave immediately to stay safe.
The Portuguese government has extended a state of emergency. They call this situation a devastating crisis. A new storm named Marta arrived on Saturday. It brought more heavy rain to wet land. The ground was already saturated by earlier water. While the south faced floods, other places were cold. Scientists say this weather pattern has been stuck. It stayed in place for many weeks.
The Iberian Peninsula faced wet and windy weather all year. Six major low-pressure systems struck the region. Storm Leonardo was the most recent and dangerous one. It brought heavy rain to Portugal and Spain. In Andalusia alone, 3,500 people had to leave. River levels reached record highs. Over 100 roads were closed. Severe flooding and landslides blocked many paths. Some high-speed trains also stopped due to danger. In Grazalema, 672 millimeters of rain fell fast. This amount equals the total rain London gets yearly.
Storm Marta was officially named by the Portuguese weather service. It brought strong winds and heavy rain. Snow also fell in the mountains. The Algarve and Andalusia regions could see more rain. Wind gusts were forecast to reach 100 kilometers per hour. Ten-meter waves were expected along the west coast. The storm pushed rain across the Mediterranean Sea. These storms affect travel and daily life. Millions of people face these difficult conditions now.
Tunisia saw its heaviest rainfall in over 70 years. Algeria also had severe weather and flooding. Morocco was hit very hard in recent weeks. The city of Tangier saw four times its usual rain. Heavy rain linked to Storm Leonardo hit the north. The army helped with evacuations as a red alert came. Over 140,000 people in the north were evacuated. Authorities warned residents to leave flood-prone areas. Swollen rivers and full dams created the threat. Storm Marta brought more rain to Morocco and Algeria.
Ironically, this rain ended a seven-year drought. The drought had pushed Morocco to build water plants. The rain saved water supplies but caused new floods. Officials now balance water needs with disaster safety.
While southern Europe was wet, Scandinavia was very cold. In Lithuania, temperatures fell to -34.3 degrees Celsius. This was the lowest temperature since 1996. Parts of northern Sweden had their second coldest January. The cold weather extended down to Ukraine. Temperatures in Kyiv dropped to -20 degrees Celsius. The temperature rose above freezing on only six days. This shows how different weather exists side by side.
The weather is due to a stubborn high-pressure system. This system has sat over Scandinavia all year. It causes intense cold there. It also blocks milder, wet weather from the Atlantic. It pushes the jet stream further south. This makes the UK and western Europe very wet. Cold blocking systems are hard to move. Forecasts say north-east Europe will stay cold in February. Wind will make it feel even colder.
Cold air might head to the UK soon. It brings risk of frost, ice, and snow. Wet and windy weather will continue in central Europe. Flooding and travel disruption risks stay high. Southern Iberia and Africa might see some hope. High pressure may build from the Canary Islands. Any rain soon will be less heavy. After Storm Marta, no new storms are expected soon. This gives workers and residents time to recover.