Thousands of people were forced from their homes across southern Spain on Wednesday as a storm bringing what forecasters described as ‘extraordinary’ rain battered the Iberian peninsula, shutting schools and cancelling train services.
Spain’s weather agency AEMET placed parts of the southern region of Andalusia under the highest red alert for torrential rainfall, warning that Storm Leonardo could trigger dangerous flooding and landslides.
An ‘extraordinary amount of rain’ was forecast to hit areas where the ground is already saturated and riverbeds are carrying large volumes of water following recent downpours, AEMET spokesman Rubén del Campo said.
Dramatic footage shows streets transformed into fast-flowing rivers, with residents wading through deep water as emergency services battle flooding.
In one image, a car is completely submerged, with only its roof visible above the water.
More than 3,000 residents were evacuated from flood-prone areas on Tuesday as a precaution, Andalusian emergency services said, reporting more than 150 incidents without substantial damage on Wednesday.
Hundreds of soldiers deployed to assist the rescue services, while all Andalusian schools were closed apart from in the region’s easternmost province of Almeria.
State railway company Renfe announced the cancellation of almost all suburban, regional and long-distance trains across Andalusia, with no bus replacement services possible due to the state of roads, some of which were closed.
In October 2024, Spain suffered its deadliest floods in decades with more than 230 people killed, mostly in the eastern region of Valencia.
In neighbouring Portugal, where severe weather killed five people last week, part of the coast was under an orange alert as Leonardo swept in from the Atlantic Ocean.
The emergency services had responded to almost 200 incidents including localised flooding, landslides and falling trees which caused no victims or major damage, the Civil Protection service told AFP.
The Lisbon region and the Algarve in the south were most affected, with the rain and wind predicted to reach peak intensity overnight Wednesday to Thursday.
Scientists say human-driven climate change is making extreme weather events longer, more frequent and more intense.
