Storm Marta struck the Iberian Peninsula between February 6 and 8, producing torrential rain, heavy snow, and strong winds that compounded the destruction left by storms Leonardo and Kristin. The system deepened rapidly over the eastern Atlantic before moving into Portugal and southern Spain, where national meteorological services issued widespread orange alerts.
The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) issued orange warnings across 13 districts, mainly in central and southern regions, for strong winds, heavy rain, and coastal hazards. Gusts reached about 120 km/h (75 mph), with up to 115 mm (4.5 inches) of rain in 24 hours. Snow accumulated above 900 m (2 950 feet), while waves along the Atlantic coast rose between 7 and 13 m (23–43 feet).
A 46-year-old man drowned in a river at Campo Maior, Portalegre District, on February 8, and a firefighter was killed earlier in Alcácer do Sal during rescue operations. In total, five people had died across the Iberian Peninsula since Storm Leonardo’s arrival the previous week.
Sections of the Northern and Douro rail lines were suspended due to inundation and landslides, and numerous roads were cut by debris. The government mobilized about 26 500 rescue workers nationwide and extended the state of calamity until February 15 to support recovery.
Portugal’s Agriculture Ministry estimated combined agricultural and forestry losses at approximately EUR 750 million (USD 890 million), part of total damages exceeding EUR 4 – 4.7 billion (USD 4.3 – 5 billion).
In Spain, Storm Marta primarily affected Andalusia, including the provinces of Cádiz, Seville, Córdoba, Huelva, Málaga and Almería.
The Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET) issued orange alerts for heavy rain, snow at high altitude, and hazardous coastal conditions.
Flooding forced the evacuation of more than 11 000 residents, and around 170 roads, including the A-48, A-44 and A-32, were closed. A snowplow driver died when his vehicle plunged about 20 m (65 feet) down a slope in the El Pico pass in Ávila Province.
Several residential areas near the Guadalquivir River in Córdoba were evacuated as water levels rose, with Deputy Prime Minister María Jesús Montero stating the river was expected to crest between February 8 and 9.
Farmers’ associations in Andalusia described the event as a “natural catastrophe,” saying thousands of hectares of broccoli, carrot, and cauliflower fields were submerged. Miguel Ángel Pérez of the farmers’ organization COAG said that persistent rain had left entire valleys under water and that growers would seek government assistance to recover. Preliminary damage assessments in Andalusia reached hundreds of millions of euros.
Residents in the Serranía de Ronda area of Málaga reported a sequence of mild ground tremors during and after the passage of Storm Marta. According to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute (IGME-CSIC), the events formed part of a normal seismic sequence unrelated to the storm’s rainfall.
The first tremors were detected around February 3, coinciding with the earlier Storm Leonardo, and continued through Marta’s rains between February 6 and 8. The National Seismic Network of Spain recorded several small earthquakes across a roughly 35 km (22 miles) area near the towns of Cortes de la Frontera, Gaucín, Jimera de Líbar, Montejaque and Jubrique, including one of magnitude 3.7 at about 20 km (12 miles) depth near Gaucín.
Earthquakes detected by IGN in Malaga, Spain – 7 days to February 9, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
In response, seismological instruments and radar sensors were installed in Cortes de la Frontera to monitor activity. Local authorities reported no damage but noted public concern as the tremors coincided with heavy flooding.
José Antonio Zurera, the town’s mayor, said residents were worried but confirmed that the shaking was minor. IGME-CSIC researcher Raúl Pérez stated that analyses showed no hydrological influence and that the earthquakes reflected routine tectonic movement within the Málaga–Cádiz seismic zone.
Marta formed as a deep low-pressure system embedded within an active Atlantic storm train. Successive storms — in order: Kristin, Leonardo, and Marta, developed under a persistent jet-stream pattern that channeled moist air toward the Iberian Peninsula.
The sequence produced one of the most severe multi-storm episodes in recent decades, with short recovery intervals leaving soils saturated and rivers swollen. Both IPMA and AEMET linked the storm train to an unusually strong Atlantic jet stream and above-average sea-surface temperatures west of Portugal.
Emergency responses were coordinated through national civil-protection agencies and supported by the EU Copernicus Emergency Management Service, which activated satellite mapping to assess flood extent in southern Portugal and western Spain.
By February 9, most orange warnings had been lifted as Storm Marta moved eastward into the western Mediterranean.