Fatal storms sweep over Portugal Spain and France, claiming lives and forcing mass evacuations
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A powerful series of Atlantic storms has torn across Portugal, Spain, and western France, killing at least 16 people in Portugal and leaving a trail of destruction that has crippled transport networks, toppled buildings, and knocked out power to nearly 900,000 homes in France.
In Portugal, the storms triggered catastrophic flooding as swollen rivers burst their banks. A 10‑metre section of the A1 motorway, the country’s main north–south artery linking Lisbon and Porto, collapsed near Coimbra after the Mondego River surged over its dyke. The motorway had already been closed as a precaution, but officials say repairs will take weeks. Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz warned that the country has endured “20% of its annual rainfall in just one week,” with dam discharges reaching levels equivalent to “a full year of national water consumption.”
Civil protection authorities remain on high alert along the Tagus River, where water flow from upstream dams reached 6,500 cubic metres per second, raising fears of further flooding. The storms follow a relentless sequence of severe weather systems — including Storm Kristin, Leonardo, and Marta — that have battered Portugal since early January.
Across the border in Spain, the same storm system caused widespread chaos. Schools were suspended in Catalonia, the Basque Country issued red alerts for waves up to 10 metres, and winds of 148 km/h were recorded in Alicante. Several people were injured in storm‑related accidents, including four workers hurt while clearing fallen trees near Barcelona and a pedestrian injured when a wall collapsed. Dozens of flights were cancelled at Barcelona’s El Prat Airport, and a woman had to be rescued after her car plunged into a sinkhole near Cáceres.
In western France, Storm Nils proved equally deadly. A lorry driver was killed in the Landes region when a tree fell onto his vehicle, sending a branch through the windscreen. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot urged the public to “exercise utmost caution” as winds reached 162 km/h along the southwest coast. Nearly 900,000 households lost electricity, and red alerts were issued across the southwest, south, and southeast. In the Aude region alone, 40 roads were declared impassable, and a worker was seriously injured when a tree crushed his vehicle near Castelsarrasin.
The storms also forced the closure of several Alpine ski resorts, including La Plagne, due to extreme avalanche risk.
Scientists warn that while winter storms are not unusual, the increasing frequency and intensity of these events across the Iberian Peninsula and western Europe are consistent with the effects of climate change, driven by rising greenhouse gas emissions and warmer ocean temperatures that fuel more violent weather systems.
As emergency crews continue rescue operations and assess the damage, governments across the region are bracing for further severe weather in the days ahead.
The storms, driven by a series of intense Atlantic low‑pressure systems, have unleashed torrential rain and hurricane‑force winds across large parts of the country. Emergency services say the victims include people swept away by sudden floods, motorists trapped in submerged tunnels, and residents caught in collapsing structures weakened by saturated ground.
Portugal’s civil protection agency has issued multiple red alerts as rivers burst their banks and coastal regions were hit by waves exceeding 10 metres / 30 + feet. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas, while schools, roads, and public transport networks have been forced to close in several districts.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro described the situation as “one of the most severe weather emergencies in recent years,” warning that the death toll could rise as rescue teams reach isolated communities. The government has deployed military units to assist with evacuations, reinforce flood defences, and restore access to cut‑off areas.
Meteorologists say the storms are part of a broader pattern of increasingly volatile winter weather affecting southern Europe, with warmer ocean temperatures contributing to more intense rainfall and stronger wind systems.
As the country braces for additional rainfall in the coming days, authorities are urging residents to avoid travel, stay clear of rivers and coastal areas, and follow evacuation orders without delay.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons License
December 80 Mtr Waves Sagres Fortress Storm Portugals Sea Lords Earth - Magic Portugal Photography 1990
Date: 26 January 2013 (original upload date)
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20161024151203/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/85214749
Author: pictures Jettcom
Further reading:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20l6d03e1no