Storm Leo, also known as Storm Leonardo, is hammering Spain with intense rain and strong winds after an already soaking January, pushing rivers, reservoirs and drainage systems close to their limits.
What kind of storm is Leo?
Leo is a powerful Atlantic low that has latched onto an “atmospheric river” – a concentrated plume of humid, subtropical air streaming in from the ocean and dumping its moisture over the Iberian Peninsula.
Under this setup, parts of southern Spain are facing 200 to 250 millimetres of rain in 24 hours, amounts that in some inland and mountain locations would normally take many months to accumulate.
Forecasters expect the core of the system to meander near the northwest of Spain for days, sending one rain band after another across the country instead of a quick hit and run.
Alerts and the areas most at risk
The most serious alerts are in Andalucía, especially in Cádiz and Málaga provinces, where high‑risk zones include the Sierra de Grazalema, Campo de Gibraltar, the Ronda area and parts of inland Jaén.
Elsewhere, lower‑level warnings stretch across much of the south and southwest and into central and northern regions, covering heavy rain, severe gusts and dangerous sea conditions along exposed Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.
Meteorologists warn that in some mountain sectors of the Betic ranges, multiday totals could approach 400 litres per square metre, dramatically increasing the chances of flash floods and slope failures.
Wind gusts around 90 to 100 kilometres per hour are forecast in coastal and high‑ground locations, particularly around the Strait of Gibraltar and other funnelled coastal stretches, with a high risk of falling branches, trees and structural damage.
Disruption to schools, travel and daily life
In Andalucía, in‑person classes have been suspended across most of the region, with some exceptions such as parts of Almería, to keep people off the roads while conditions are at their worst.
Day centres for older people and those with disabilities have also been closed in the most exposed areas, and councils are cancelling outdoor sports, local festivities and markets until the storm eases.
Drivers are being warned to avoid non‑essential journeys, especially at night and on secondary roads where flooding, fallen trees or rockslides can block lanes with little warning.
Transport networks are under strain, with delays and cancellations affecting key road corridors, regional rail, some high‑speed services and several ferry routes as winds strengthen and waves build.
Evacuations and emergency operations
As a precaution, around 3,000 residents have been moved out of the most flood‑prone districts, including low‑lying neighbourhoods and river valleys in parts of Cádiz, Málaga and inland Andalusian provinces.
Spain’s Military Emergency Unit has been deployed to reinforce local fire and civil‑protection services, taking part in evacuations, water rescues and the stabilisation of slopes and embankments threatened by landslides.
Engineers are monitoring mining tailings ponds, reservoirs and other critical infrastructure for signs of overflow or structural stress as water levels climb and new rain bands arrive.
People living in the highest‑risk municipalities are receiving push alerts and automated calls telling them to stay away from riverbeds, underground car parks, seafront promenades and other danger spots, and to follow any evacuation orders immediately.
Snow, wind and coastal hazards beyond the south
While the most dramatic rain is in the south, the storm is also bringing snow, with initial snowlines around 800 metres in the northern and central interior before rising as milder air arrives.
Mountain ranges in Castilla y León, the Central System and other northern highlands are expecting significant snow accumulations and blizzard‑like conditions on high passes.
Along the Atlantic and Cantabrian coasts, Leo is generating heavy swell and long‑period waves, prompting warnings about overtopping, coastal flooding and damage to seafront infrastructure.
Authorities are telling people to stay off breakwaters, piers and exposed cliffs, where strong gusts and rogue waves can knock pedestrians into the sea with little chance of rescue.
Why Leo is more dangerous than a typical winter storm
Spain is heading into Leo after one of the wettest starts to a year in recent memory, with many catchments already saturated and rivers running high before this system even formed.
Storm Kristin, which hit barely a week earlier, had already caused deaths, power cuts and infrastructure damage in several regions, leaving defences weakened and recovery incomplete.
The combination of back‑to‑back Atlantic storms, almost saturated soils, elevated river levels and a prolonged burst of “extraordinarily persistent” rain means it takes far less additional water to trigger serious flooding and landslides.
Because the pattern is forecast to last at least through the first week of February, authorities are treating Leo not as a one‑day event but as part of a longer sequence of severe weather that could keep parts of Spain on flood alert for days.
