Storm Marta Hits Spain and Portugal Killing 2; More Heavy Rain Expected Across Europe and South Africa
February 9, 2026
Spain and Portugal faced Storm Marta on Saturday, which brought heavy rain and caused two deaths. This comes just days after deadly floods from Storm Kristin and Storm Leonardo. Storm Kristin caused at least five deaths on January 28, and Storm Leonardo claimed another life last Wednesday. This week, more rain is expected in Spain, Portugal, and France. North-west Portugal could get over 100mm of rain in the first half of the week. Later, southern Italy and western Greece and Turkey may also see heavy rain.
South Africa and Lesotho will face heavy showers and thunderstorms this week. Provinces like the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Eastern Cape may get 80-100mm of rain by Saturday. Some storms could bring daily rainfall amounts of 50mm with risks of hail, strong winds, and excessive lightning. The South African Weather Service warns of possible flooding, mudslides, and damage affecting over 10 million people.
In Asia, Japan and Korea endured cold weather last week. Tokyo’s temperatures dropped nearly 10 degrees Celsius below average on Sunday, with snow falling. Tokyo’s location usually gets snow once or twice a year due to cold air from continental Asia and moisture from the Sea of Japan and the Philippine Sea. The Hokuriku region in western Japan saw over 50cm of snow in 24 hours. Temperatures are expected to rise to the mid-to-high teens by the weekend.
Read More at Theguardian →
Tags:
Storm Marta
Spain
Portugal
Flooding
Heavy rain
South Africa Weather
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