Overview
- The World Weather Attribution consortium examined January–February 2026 storms at roughly 1.3°C of global warming and found the most intense daily rainfall is now about one-third higher than in preindustrial conditions.
- Rainfall intensity increased by about 36% in the southern study area covering southern Spain, southern Portugal and northern Morocco, and by 29% in the northern area including northwest Spain and northern Portugal.
- A sequence of nine storms from January 16 to February 17 triggered catastrophic flooding, causing at least 50 deaths and forcing major evacuations, including a weeklong clearance of Grazalema after receiving more than a year’s rain in days.
- Researchers identify a blocking high over Scandinavia and Greenland and unusually warm Atlantic waters feeding stronger atmospheric rivers as key amplifiers of the downpours.
- Media reports cite preliminary economic losses with damages in Spain alone estimated above €9 billion, while the study urges faster emissions cuts alongside stronger early-warning and disaster-management systems.