Extreme Heavy Rain and Strong Winds Hit Spain, Portugal, and Morocco

Over the next five days, influenced by an "atmospheric river" originating from the Caribbean Sea (Figure 1), parts of Portugal, central and southern Spain, northern Morocco, and northern Algeria will experience heavy to intense rainfall. Specifically, regions such as Andalusia in Spain and the northwest of Morocco are expected to see torrential downpours, with cumulative rainfall totals ranging from 60-90 millimeters, and some areas may reach 120-160 millimeters, with localized totals exceeding 250 millimeters (Figure 2). These regions will also be accompanied by strong winds of 6-8 levels, with gusts reaching 10-11 levels in coastal areas (Figure 3). This episode of heavy rainfall and strong winds is of an extreme nature and may surpass historical records for the same period. Attention should be given to potential secondary disasters such as flash floods and urban flooding, as well as adverse impacts on agriculture, transportation, and other industries.

Figure 1  500 hPa Geopotential Height (units: dagpm), 850 hPa Wind Field Forecast (units: m/s), and 850 hPa Water Vapor Flux (units: g/(cm·hPa·s)) at 00:00 UTC on February 5, 2026

Figure 2  Forecasted Accumulated Precipitation from February 4 to February 9, 2026, 00:00 UTC (Shaded, Units: mm)

Figure 3  Maximum Gust Speed (Shaded, Unit: m/s) for 24 Hours at 00:00 UTC, February 6, 2026

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Author: Hu Yingying                                   Reviewer: Ma Jie 

English reviewer:Wang Yi                                                    Issue approver:Dai Kan