Multiple consecutive storm depressions have swept through the western Mediterranean, causing widespread flooding and billions‑worth of damage. In Portugal, 13 people have been confirmed dead, Morocco has reported four fatalities and one missing individual, and tens of thousands of residents have been forced to leave their homes.
Estimates for southern Spain’s Andalusia suggest agricultural losses of roughly 3.4 billion euros, as about 75 % of its farmland is affected. Road repairs in the region are projected to cost around 500 million euros, while the total damage in Portugal alone is estimated to exceed 4 billion euros.
The floods were triggered by storm depressions that, instead of following their usual path through northern and central Europe, tracked from the Caribbean and carried large amounts of warm, moist air. Climate‑change‑driven warming of the seas has intensified these events.