Authorities said a man believed to be around 70 years old died in Portugal’s Alentejo region after floodwaters swept his car away. Emergency teams confirmed the incident on Wednesday as heavy rainfall continued to cause widespread disruption across the country, News.Az reports, citing Sky News.
In Spain, rescue crews are searching for a girl who was swept away by the Turvilla River in Malaga province while reportedly trying to rescue her dog. Fire chief Manuel Marmolejo said teams searched through the night along the river route. The dog was later found, but the girl remains missing.
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Storm Leonardo hit the region earlier this week, bringing intense rainfall, strong winds and widespread flooding that damaged homes, forced evacuations and submerged roads in multiple areas across Spain and Portugal.
Several Spanish regions have reported severe impacts. In Granada province, flooding hit Huétor Tájar after a river burst its banks, inundating streets and surrounding farmland. Towns including San Roque and Los Barrios in Andalusia also reported major flood damage.
Emergency services in Andalusia said they responded to more than a million incidents by late Wednesday. Officials also warned that 14 rivers and 10 dams were at extreme risk of overflowing due to continued rainfall.
The severe weather has disrupted daily life across southern Spain. Schools across most of Andalusia have been closed, and some high-speed rail services have been suspended due to safety concerns and flooding on tracks.
Meteorologists have warned that the region could face further weather disruption, with another storm system expected to approach over the weekend as part of a “storm train” pattern affecting the region this winter.
Authorities continue to urge residents to avoid flood-prone areas and follow emergency guidance as rescue and recovery operations continue across the hardest-hit regions.
