Storm Leo pounds Iberian Peninsula with torrential rains

RONDA — Spanish and Portuguese authorities braced on Wednesday for the impact of Storm Leo, suspending classes in some areas and warning against travel, just one week after deadly Storm Kristin wreaked havoc across the Iberian Peninsula.

Spain’s state meteorological agency AEMET forecast that some parts of the southern Sierra Grazalema may see rainfall equivalent to a full year of precipitation from the storm.

Authorities are concerned about the heightened risk of flooding as the ground remains saturated from the preceding storm and heavy rains last month.

Spain recorded 119.3 mm of rainfall in January, 85% above the 1992-2020 average, making it the second-wettest January of the 21st century, the Environment Ministry said.

The regional government in Spain’s southern Andalusia region urged residents to avoid non-essential travel, warning that public safety alerts could quickly escalate to the highest red-alert level as the storm evolves, regional leader Juanma Moreno said.

In-person classes were suspended across the region, apart from in Almeria province, while Spain’s Military Emergency Unit was on alert to provide a rapid response, including flood rescue, the stabilization of landslide-prone areas and the monitoring of mining tailings ponds at risk of overflow.

Day centers for the elderly and disabled have been closed, and local governments in affected areas were advised to cancel outdoor sports activities, while about 3,000 people have been evacuated from areas most at risk of flooding.

High-risk regions include Grazalema, Campo de Gibraltar, Ronda and parts of Jaen, where residents received mobile alerts warning of the potential for heavy rainfall.

Emergency personnel, along with two aircraft and two helicopters, have been deployed to monitor flood-prone zones and provide real-time updates, Mr. Moreno said.

In Portugal, the national Civil Protection Service raised its preparedness to the highest level as its commander warned of a “very complex” meteorological situation ahead.

The Portuguese armed forces deployed up to 3,000 personnel and 42 inflatable boats with marine teams along flood-prone sections of the country’s major rivers as weather conditions were forecast to worsen throughout the week. — Reuters