Exceptional risks… Spain and Portugal are preparing for Storm Leonardo

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Exceptional risks… Spain and Portugal are preparing for Storm Leonardo

The Iberian Peninsula declared a state of alert for Storm Leonardo, closing schools in southern Spain, and raised Portugal is on alert after causing Bad weather conditions resulted in deaths and injuries last week.
The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) issued the highest level of alert (red alert) for Wednesday in the regions of Ronda and Grazalema in the southern Andalusian province, warning of "Exceptional risks" Storm Leonardo, which may cause floods and landslides.
Juanma Moreno, the governor of Andalusia, who is responsible for emergency management in Spain’s decentralized political system, appealed to residents to be extremely cautious and prudent.
All Andalusia schools were announced to be closed on Wednesday, with the exception of schools in the province of Almeria, located in the far east of the region.

Heavy snow and strong winds

In neighboring Portugal, the Portuguese Meteorological Agency issued a statement. (IPMA) issued an orange alert along the entire coast on Tuesday, with Storm Leonardo approaching the Atlantic Ocean.
An orange alert was also declared in the northern and central regions of the country in anticipation of heavy snowfall, with strong winds and rain until next Saturday.
A series of storms swept through Portugal in recent weeks, the most devastating of which was Storm Christine, which killed 5 people and injured about 400 others last week, and particularly affected the Leiria region in the center of the country.
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Four more people died in weather-related accidents.

Power grid failures

While tens of thousands of homes remain cut off from the power grid, Portugal’s government approved a 2.5 billion euro ($3 billion) reconstruction plan.
Scientists say human-induced climate change is prolonging extreme weather events, such as storms and heat waves, and making them more frequent and intense.
In October 2024, Spain witnessed massive floods that it had not known for decades, and the number of victims exceeded 230 people, most of them in the eastern Valencia region.