The Iberian Peninsula continues to suffer the consequences of Storm Leonardo, with thousands of evacuees, entire towns under water and hundreds of roads blocked, and is already preparing for a new meteorological phenomenon, Storm Marta. In Portugal, the Duero River overflowed and the Tagus basin is on red alert, but the presidential runoff is still on and the far-right candidate André Ventura put an end to his campaign by distributing aid to those affected.

First modification: 02/07/2026 - 01:26Last modification: 02/07/2026 - 01:27

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Portugal extended until February 15 the state of calamity declared by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa due to the impact of the storm Leonardo, but maintains the date of the second round of the presidential elections for February 8, despite this phenomenon and another on the horizon, the storm Marta.

"It seems to me that in the vast majority of the country, in the overwhelming majority of the country, there will be conditions," said Prime Minister Luís Montenegro on February 6, to justify the decision not to suspend the runoff.

Although the rainfall is expected to continue on election day, Montenegro estimated that it is not a reason that "can support an impediment to the functioning of democracy and, therefore, of the voting assemblies."

Montenegro reiterated that, ultimately, it will be the mayors who will have the power to decide whether elections are viable or not in their cities.

"What we are doing in the Government is creating all the logistical-administrative support so that all municipalities can carry out this task," added the prime minister.

The electoral contest closed with the storm as a backdrop. The far-right candidate André Ventura, who a day earlier had requested to postpone the runoff for a week, closed his campaign with a distribution of aid in Alcácer do Sal, in Setúbal, the town most affected by the weather events.

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Ventura arrived in a suit to the city located south of Lisbon, affected by the flooding of the Sado River, but soon began helping to unload aid from various vehicles to transfer it to storage warehouses.

Questioned by journalists about the possible use of the tragedy for political purposes, Ventura promised to continue carrying out this type of actions, “whether the press likes it or not.” "Our duty is to be next to the people," he added.

Read alsoBorrasca Leonardo: at least four dead, thousands of evacuees in Spain and a Portugal in electoral tension

A survey by the Center for Studies and Opinion Polls (Cesop) of the Portuguese Catholic University gives his rival, the former socialist minister António José Seguro, as the clear favorite, with 67% of the voting intention, while Ventura is expected to reach 33%.

Alcácer do Sal is the most affected town, with the ground floors of all the houses and buildings completely flooded and the inhabitants trying to save what they can from the mud and water, but it is not the only one in Portugal.

Civil Protection sources reported that "the entire Tagus (river) basin is currently at a flood peak."

Pedro Araújo, Operations officer of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), explained that the flow has gained 7,400 cubic meters per second, causing "very significant volumes of water and above records."

Another major river in Portugal, the Douro, which runs alongside the city of Porto, overflowed near its mouth in the early hours of February 6, forcing evacuations there and in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Spain suffers its first victim

Storm Leonardo has also caused havoc in Spain, mainly in Andalusia, where more than 8,000 people have had to be evacuated from their homes preventively and the first fatality has been recorded.

The body of a woman of about 45 years old was located in Malaga and it was confirmed that she is the same person who fell into the Turvilla River the day before while trying to rescue her dog.

Morocco had recorded three deaths on February 4, three women from the same family who were crushed by the collapse of a house in Beni Arous, in the province of Larache, and in Portugal a man drowned that same day, when he was dragged inside his car by the flooding of the Guadiana River in Serpa.

The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juan Manuel Moreno, stated that "we expect 30 mm (of rain)" and added that "in other circumstances it would be little water, but right now it is a lot because the soil cannot drain and the rivers and reservoirs are full."

Towns like Grazalema are completely under water and it is expected that their residents will not be able to return for several days.

Nahum Méndez-Chazarra, professor of geology at the University of Valencia, warned Reuters about the risk of structural collapse, since Grazalema is built on mountains of permeable rock.

"It is possible that these cavities will widen and eventually cause the ground to sink, which will obviously affect any houses or roads above," the expert explained.

Read alsoIberian Peninsula flooded by storm Leonardo

It's not over: storm Marta is still in line

Portugal and Spain have already gone through a major climate event, the extratropical cyclone Kristin, which left six dead in the first country on January 31, and they are already preparing for another phenomenon, Storm Marta.

The rainfall due to this new storm was supposed to begin on the night of February 6 and is expected to bring new floods, while the overflows from Leonardo are still continuing.

Rivers such as Vouga, Sado, Lima, Cávado, Tâmega and Guadiana would join the already overflowing Duero and a Tajo at critical levels.

"All the water courses that currently flow into these main rivers can and will create potential floods," anticipated the national commander of the Portuguese National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), Mário Silvestre.

The official added that Storm Marta is expected to arrive accompanied by winds of up to 100 km per hour.

Spain has also begun to evacuate residents from areas near the Guadalquivir River in the province of Córdoba, due to the sharp increase in flow.

Read alsoThousands of evacuees due to the rains in Spain and Portugal, where the second presidential round could be disrupted

With AP, EFE and Reuters

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