Spain and Portugal face record rainfall and deadly storms, with scientists pointing to climate change as the driver behind the extreme weather events.
MADRID: Spain has endured its wettest January and February in almost half a century, according to the national weather agency AEMET.
A series of eleven major storms lashed the country from late December to mid-February, bringing heavy rain and strong winds that caused significant damage.
The Iberian Peninsula is considered a frontline region for climate change, experiencing increasingly long heatwaves alongside more frequent episodes of intense rainfall.
AEMET spokesman Ruben del Campo highlighted the extraordinary nature of the events, stating, “January and February 2026 has been the rainiest in the last 47 years.”
The southern municipality of Grazalema was one of the hardest-hit areas, receiving more than a full year’s expected rainfall in just a few days during Storm Leonardo in February.
Intense flooding and landslide risks prompted the evacuation of the entire town, with two people dying as a result of the storm.
Del Campo directly linked the severity of Storm Leonardo to climate change, noting that warmer oceans and a warmer atmosphere lead to increased evaporation and water vapour, resulting in heavier rainfall.
Neighbouring Portugal also experienced its wettest February in 47 years, according to its meteorological agency.
This marked the eighth consecutive warm or very warm winter in Spain, a streak unprecedented in AEMET’s records.
Del Campo forecast a 50% to 70% probability that the coming spring will also be warmer than usual.
