The first signs arrived quietly, as weather often does in places accustomed to its moods. A darker line on the horizon, a wind that lingered longer than expected, the smell of rain carried inland from the Atlantic. Across the Iberian Peninsula, mornings opened with the low, persistent drum of water on stone, and evenings closed with rivers speaking louder than usual.
Storm Leonardo moved in with patience rather than fury, settling over Spain and Portugal with bands of heavy rain and gusting winds that pressed against coastlines and climbed inland valleys. Streets that usually guide water toward the sea found themselves overwhelmed, and rivers, long contained by winter’s discipline, stepped beyond their familiar edges. In towns near floodplains and along swollen waterways, daily routines loosened and then stopped.
Authorities issued warnings as rainfall accumulated hour by hour. In parts of western and southern Spain, as well as northern and central Portugal, emergency services monitored rising water levels, closing roads and advising residents to stay indoors. Evacuations followed where the ground could no longer be trusted to hold. Families gathered essentials in silence, moving to higher ground or temporary shelters as a precaution learned from past winters.
Leonardo’s presence was felt not only in water but in motion. Ferries were delayed, ports disrupted, and flights canceled as winds unsettled the air. Along the coast, waves battered seawalls, sending spray over promenades built for calmer days. Inland, fields absorbed what they could before yielding, turning paths into shallow streams that reflected gray skies back upward.
The storm arrived at a time when reservoirs and soils were already burdened by seasonal rain. Meteorologists spoke of saturated ground and slow-moving weather systems, explaining why Leonardo lingered rather than passed quickly through. The science entered conversations gently, folded into updates delivered with care, as if naming the mechanisms might steady the uncertainty.
As the system began to ease, attention shifted to counting and clearing. Damage assessments started, and cleanup crews prepared for the quieter work that follows disruption. Officials reported no immediate change to the broader weather pattern, cautioning that more rain could still arrive in the days ahead, even as the worst appeared to have passed.
By the time the clouds thinned, the peninsula looked altered but intact. Water receded from doorsteps, leaving behind silt and debris, small reminders of how briefly the balance had tipped. Life, practiced in recovery, resumed its measured pace. Storm Leonardo, having made its mark, moved on, leaving Iberia to dry, reflect, and wait for the next shift in the sky.
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Sources Reuters Associated Press BBC News El País Público