At the end of January, Portugal was affected by storms "Ingrid" and "Joseph" followed by depression "Kristin". Ingrid caused one death. Kristin was the strongest cyclone in Portuguese history.
The passage of Storm Kristin on January 28 caused the death of at least 14 people in Portugal, with the regions of Coimbra, Leiria, Oeste, Médio Tejo, Lezíria do Tejo and Beira Beixa suffering extensive devastation. Wind gusts from the storm reached 208.8 kilometers per hour in Soure, Coimbra district. In Leiria, the National Forest suffered extensive devastation and the Municipal Stadium, which hosted Euro 2004, was partially destroyed. In Figueira da Foz, the Ferris wheel was completely destroyed. The Sanctuary of Fátima also suffered significant damage. Ferreira do Zêzere had 85% of its houses damaged.[4] Around 2,000 people were injured by Kristin and the Leiria Hospital was overwhelmed by the amount of polytrauma patients in the first days after Kristin.[5]
During January 28, 29 and 30, several areas in the regions of Coimbra, Leiria, Oeste and Médio Tejo were without access to electricity, water and telecommunications. 3 months after Kristin, approximately 20,000 people in Portugal are still without telecommunications.
On January 31, two more deaths were recorded in connection with the storm. Two men, one in Batalha and the other in Alcobaça, fell from roofs while attempting to repair the damage. On February 1, another death was recorded, this one due to carbon monoxide inhalation from the generator powering his house.
In Portugal, the national Civil Protection Service raised its preparedness to the highest level as its commander warned of a "very complex" meteorological situation ahead.
The Portuguese armed forces deployed up to 3,000 personnel and 42 inflatable boats with marine teams along flood-prone sections of the country's major rivers as weather conditions were forecast to worsen throughout the week.[6]
On February 5th, the president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) said he had received indications from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere about the approach of a new Atlantic storm: the Marta depression, and stated that "Portugal is beginning to prepare to face a new worsening of weather conditions, just days after having gone through a 'train of storms' that left a trail of destruction across the country."
Also on February 5th, and with the approach of the 2026 Portuguese presidential election, to be held on the 8th, and due to the state of emergency, some municipalities, such as Golegã, Arruda dos Vinhos and Alcácer do Sal, requested the postponement of the electoral act in their municipalities to the following week.[7]
On January 27, a woman died in Torremolinos, Málaga, Spain, due to strong gusts of wind that occurred on the Costa del Sol.[45] The approach of Storm Joseph to Spain led, on January 27, to the closure of the Retiro Gardens in Madrid and eight other historic parks in the capital.[8] The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) warned of the arrival of a train of storms in Spain. The warning came after the passage of Storm Joseph, which hit the Iberian Peninsula on January 26.
Storm Leonardo arrived in the Spanish region of Andalusia on February 3rd, bringing very heavy rain and a high risk of flooding because the rivers and soil were already saturated from previous storms. The storm severely battered the region, where at least 3,500 people were evacuated from their homes due to flooding.
Authorities in Spain are concerned about the heightened risk of flooding as the ground remains saturated from the preceding storm and heavy rains last month. Spain recorded 119.3 mm of rainfall in January, 85% above the 1992-2020 average, making it the second-wettest January of the 21st century, the Environment Ministry said.
On February 5th, Spain moved from red alert to orange alert. In Andalusia, a woman was reported missing after falling into the Turville River in the municipality of Sayalonga, Málaga.[9]
