Between late January and early February, a series of Atlantic windstorms hit Southwestern Europe, with Storm Kristin as the most severe and potentially one of the costliest re/insurance loss events ever recorded in Portugal, according to Aon.
Since 18th January 2026, eight consecutive lows have impacted Southwestern Europe, particularly Portugal and Spain, bringing powerful winds and heavy rainfall.
These included Storms Harry (Jan 18–20), Kristin (Jan 22 and Jan 28), Ingrid/Leonie (Jan 23), Chandra/Norma (Jan 27), Querida & Romina (Feb 2), Leonardo/Stephie (Feb 4–7), and Marta (Feb 8).
The strongest wind impacts were linked to Storm Kristin, with peak gusts reaching 208.8 kph (129.7 mph) in Coimbra district on 28th January. If verified by Portugal’s national meteorological agency (IPMA), this would mark the strongest storm recorded in the country since systematic observations began, surpassing the previous record of 176.4 kph (109.6 mph) set by Storm Leslie.
Kristin caused severe wind damage across several districts along Portugal’s west-central coast, including Coimbra, Leiria, Santarém and Lisboa. The Portuguese government declared a state of calamity from 29th January to 8th February in the hardest-hit areas.
Reported damage included extensive impacts to residential and commercial properties, with structural roof and façade failures, damaged vehicles, as well as forest destruction, notably Leiria National Forest.
Around one million customers lost power, 6,300 km (3,900 miles) of electricity networks were affected, and more than 5,800 poles were damaged.
In addition to destructive winds, multiple storm systems brought prolonged heavy rainfall, triggering river flooding and placing additional strain on reservoirs. Flooding affected Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Coimbra, Évora, Faro, Santarém, Setúbal, Lisboa, Leiria, Portalegre, Porto, Viana do Castelo and Viseu.
Since 28th January, at least 13 fatalities and nearly 1,100 injuries have been reported in Portugal due to severe weather incidents.
In Spain, Storm Kristin resulted in one fatality and left approximately 170,000 customers without power in Andalusia.
Further significant impacts stemmed from widespread flooding caused by multiple waves of rainfall, including Storm Leonardo, affecting southern Spain since early February. Affected regions include Andalusia, Extremadura, Galicia, Castile and Leon, Castilla-La Mancha, and Madrid, with approximately 11,000 individuals displaced. Aon noted that this trend is expected to persist into mid-February, as prevailing meteorological conditions continue to favour the movement of storm systems across the Iberian Peninsula and southern Europe.
Storms also affected other areas, though less severely. In Morocco, Storm Leonardo caused heavy rainfall and flash flooding that displaced more than 150,000 people. Storm Marta triggered further flooding and landslides, heavily impacting Tangier, Salé and Casablanca. At least four fatalities were reported, alongside infrastructure damage and impacts to approximately 60 homes.
Aon said early government evaluations suggest Storm Kristin’s direct economic losses in Portugal may exceed €4 billion ($4.7 billion), equivalent to approximately 1.5% of Portugal’s GDP. The Confederation of Farmers of Portugal estimates that agriculture and forestry losses alone reached €775 million ($920 million).
The Portuguese government introduced emergency support measures, offering grants of up to €10,000 ($11,900) for repairs to main residences and for agricultural or forestry damages. These grants are available even in the absence of insurance coverage, subject to inspections by CCDR and local authorities.
Initial market data and government estimates suggest insured losses in Portugal could reach several hundred million euros, potentially around €500 million ($590 million). The most affected lines include residential property, commercial and industrial assets, utilities and energy infrastructure, motor insurance, and other minor lines.
“Tens of thousands of claims have already been filed with Portugal’s three largest insurers, most of which are linked to Storm Kristin. Consequently, Kristin is likely to become one of the most expensive (re)insurance loss events ever recorded in Portugal,” said Aon.
In Spain, authorities expect additional hundreds of millions of euros in economic and insured losses from widespread flooding, primarily linked to Storms Leonardo and Marta, which brought significant rainfall.
The Spanish Association of Insurance Entities for Combined Agricultural Insurance (Agroseguro) estimates that more than 40,000 hectares (98,800 acres) of farmland were affected, with insured agricultural losses provisionally estimated at €35 million ($42 million). Agricultural economic losses are expected to exceed €500 million ($590 million), while initial government assessments indicate total economic losses could reach €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion).
