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One dead and child missing as Storm Leonardo floods southern Spain and Portugal

ByRishav Kothari

Flooding caused by Storm Leonardo left one person dead in Portugal and a child missing in southern Spain between Tuesday and early Thursday, February 3–5, 2026, as heavy rain flooded towns across the Iberian Peninsula. Emergency services carried out evacuations and search operations as river levels rose rapidly.

Flooded road in Spain on February 5, 2026, due to Storm Leonardo

Flooded road in Spain on February 5, 2026, due to Storm Leonardo. Credit: Guardia Civill

Storm Leonardo brought widespread flooding across southern Portugal and southern Spain from Tuesday, February 3, through early Thursday, February 5, after bringing exceptional rainfall to already saturated river basins.

In Portugal, floods affected municipalities south of Lisbon, including Alcácer do Sal, where flood waters reached a height of 2 m (6.5 feet) submerging streets and low-lying areas. Civil protection authorities confirmed one flood-related death in the country and said monitoring of river levels continued as rainfall persisted into Wednesday night.

Search operations were ongoing in southern Spain for a girl who was swept into a river in Málaga province during flooding. Málaga fire chief Manuel Marmolejo said rescue teams searched throughout the afternoon and night, locating the family dog but not the child.

Severe flooding was reported across parts of Andalusia, including Cádiz and Málaga provinces. Residents were forced to flee their homes in San Roque, in Cádiz province due to flooding and overwhelmed drainage systems.

Emergency services evacuated around 5 000 people across Andalusia, deploying hundreds of firefighters, civil protection personnel, and soldiers to assist with rescues, evacuations, and flood control measures. Officials said at least 14 rivers and 10 dams in the region were at extreme risk of overflowing on Wednesday as inflows increased.

A level 2 emergency continues for Andalusia. Classes have been suspended for multiple schools and universities in across the province through February 5. At least 171 roads were closed across Spain due to flooding including 140 in Andalusia

Officials warned that river levels would remain sensitive even as rainfall eased, due to saturated soils and sustained runoff. Forecasts also indicated the approach of a new Atlantic front on Saturday, raising concerns about renewed rainfall before full recovery from Leonardo’s impacts.

References:

1 The authorities order the eviction of all the residents of Grazalema and there are already about 5,000 evacuees in Andalusia – EL Pais – February 5, 2026

2 Latest news on Storm Leonardo, live: Andalusia, Extremadura and Madrid on alert, roads closed throughout Spain – OndaCero – February 5, 2026

Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.

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