Holiday hotspots prepare for more extreme weather after six killed in storm

Portugal and Spain are bracing for the arrival of a new storm, Leonardo, which authorities warn could trigger further floods and devastation across the Iberian Peninsula, still reeling from the impact of Storm Kristin.

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) announced late on Monday that Storm Leonardo is expected to affect mainland Portugal from Tuesday afternoon through Saturday, with neighbouring Spain anticipated to feel its effects from Wednesday.

Forecasters predict persistent, heavy rainfall and wind gusts reaching up to 75 km/h (47 mph) along the coast south of Cabo Mondego, and 95 km/h in higher elevations.

This latest weather system follows a succession of intense storms that have battered thie region in recent months, bringing heavy rain, thunder, snow, and strong gales.

Southern Spain, in particular, has reportedly experienced its wettest winter in four decades.

While Leonardo's gusts are expected to be less severe than the more than 200 km/h winds unleashed by Storm Kristin, which struck central Portugal last Wednesday, killing at least six people and leaving widespread destruction across homes, factories, and vital infrastructure, the new storm still poses a significant threat.

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Daniela Fraga, deputy commander of national emergency and civil protection authority ANEPC, told reporters late on Monday that heavy rain in the coming days could lead to floods and inundations, mainly in the regions that were affected by Storm Kristin.

Nearly 134,000 households were still without electricity, around 95,000 of them in the Leiria region in the centre of the country, power distribution company E-Redes said.

Portugal's government on Sunday approved a 2.5 billion-euro ($2.95 billion) package of loans and incentives to help people and businesses rebuild after the storm.

The government could apply for grants from the European Solidarity Fund and unused EU recovery funds to finance reconstruction, Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho said on Monday at a joint news conference with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen.

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Leiria, one of Portugal’s main industrial hubs known for its plastics and metalworking industries, was among the hardest-hit areas.

Hundreds of houses, several roads, schools, factories and railway lines have been affected. At the Monte Real air base near Leiria, the storm damaged several aircraft, including F16 fighter jets.

In Spain, weather authorities warned of intense and persistent rainfall across the south.

In the Grazalema mountains, accumulated rainfall could exceed 200-250 mm in 24 hours. Officials have issued alerts for severe flood risk due to rising river levels.