Arya News - LISBON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Portugal and Spain are bracing for a new storm that authorities warn could trigger floods and further devastation, as the Iberian Peninsula still struggles with the aftermath
LISBON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Portugal and Spain are bracing for a new storm that authorities warn could trigger floods and further devastation, as the Iberian Peninsula still struggles with the aftermath of Storm Kristin.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) said late Monday that the new storm, named Leonardo, is expected to begin impacting mainland Portugal from Tuesday afternoon through Saturday. The storm is also expected to hit neighbouring Spain from Wednesday.
The Iberian Peninsula has experienced a succession of storms bringing heavy rain, thunder, snow and strong gales in the last few months, with southern Spain facing what some residents describe as its wettest winter in 40 years.
IPMA said Leonardo may bring persistent and at times heavy rain, with wind gusts reaching up to 75 km/h (47 mph) along the coast south of Cabo Mondego in the country"s central region, and 95 km/h in the highlands.
The gusts, however, should be less intense than those exceeding 200 km/h unleashed by Storm Kristin, which battered central mainland Portugal from early last Wednesday, killing at least six people and leaving a trail of destruction across homes, factories and critical infrastructure.
Daniela Fraga, deputy commander of national emergency and civil protection authority ANEPC, told reporters late on Monday that heavy rain in the coming days could lead to floods and inundations, mainly in the regions that were affected by Storm Kristin.
Nearly 134,000 households were still without electricity, around 95,000 of them in the Leiria region in the centre of the country, power distribution company E-Redes said.
In Spain, weather authorities warned of intense and persistent rainfall across the south. In the Grazalema mountains, accumulated rainfall could exceed 200-250 mm in 24 hours. Officials have issued alerts for severe flood risk due to rising river levels.
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Additional reporting by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Hugh Lawson)