Portugal’s national civil protection authority said the man, in his 60s, died in Serpa municipality, close to a dam. He had attempted to drive through a flooded area when the current carried him away. Responders later located the vehicle with its occupant. The storm arrived while Portugal was still recovering from earlier severe weather: Storm Kristin had killed five people, injured hundreds and left tens of thousands of customers without electricity.
In Spain, weather agency AEMET issued its highest red warning for parts of Andalusia, citing extraordinary rainfall and the danger of floods and slope failures. Forecasts indicated as much as 35 centimetres of rain within 24 hours around mountainous Grazalema. The mayor of nearby Ronda, Maria Paz Fernandez, said repeated downpours had left the ground unable to absorb more water, with numerous landslides reported in rural areas.
Andalusian evacuations had reached approximately 3,500 people. Regional emergency chief Antonio Sanz said responders had handled more than 650 incidents, and one person was injured when a building collapsed. Hundreds of soldiers joined rescue operations. Schools closed throughout Andalusia except in Almeria, its easternmost province, while state rail operator Renfe cancelled nearly all suburban, regional and long-distance services across the region. Road conditions made replacement buses impractical.
Portuguese emergency services recorded more than 3,300 incidents from Sunday onward, mostly involving floods, fallen trees and landslides. More than 11,000 personnel were deployed, and around 200 people were evacuated in central Portugal. The Sado River overflowed at Alcacer do Sal, a community south of Lisbon, submerging its principal avenue. Lisbon and the Algarve were among the hardest-hit areas as forecasters expected rain and wind to intensify overnight.
Reports described rainfall exceeding 40 centimetres in 24 hours across the wider storm zone. Such totals, landing on already saturated terrain, created hazards well beyond rivers themselves: unstable slopes, inaccessible roads, interrupted power and structural failures all complicated the response. The supplied evidence did not confirm the missing girl’s condition by the event date.
Leonardo was the latest of several storms to strike the peninsula that year. The immediate accounting stood at one confirmed death, one injury and thousands displaced from homes, with searches and protective operations continuing under severe-weather alerts.
