Lisbon, Portugal. Storm Leonardo brought heavy rain and strong winds to Portugal and Spain, killing an elderly man in Portugal and leaving a woman missing in southern Spain. Authorities reported road closures, evacuations and ongoing rescue operations across affected areas.
Fatality reported in Portugal
Portuguese authorities said a man of around 70 died on Wednesday in the southern Alentejo region after his car was swept away on a flooded road near a dam. The storm is the latest in a wave of around six winter storms to hit Portugal and Spain since the start of 2026, with several deaths reported and damage including flooded towns and roofs torn from homes.
Woman missing in Spain after river incident
In Spain’s Malaga province, a woman was reported missing after being dragged away by the strong current of the Turvilla river while trying to rescue her dog. Malaga fire chief Manuel Marmolejo said on Spanish television that searchers found the dog but not the woman after searching from the point where she fell to the end of the river.
Police said more than 30 people, supported by helicopters and drones, continued searching for her.
Road disruptions and emergency response
Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Maria Jesus Montero said 148 roads had been affected by lane closures, particularly in Cadiz province, and that 3,500 police officers had been deployed to assist with evacuations.
Further storms forecast
State weather agency Aemet said Storm Marta, the next weather front in the so-called “storm train,” is expected to hit the region over the weekend.
Damage and flooding impacts
Portugal’s Economy Minister Manuel Castro Almeida said reconstruction costs after last week’s Storm Kristin alone could total more than €4 billion ($4.7 billion). In southern Portugal, residents waded waist-deep through Alcacer do Sal after successive storms caused the Sado river to breach its banks, leaving restaurant terraces underwater and sandbags stacked in front of doors to protect homes and shops.
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