Leonardo devastated Portugal and Spain: Nearly 400 interventions due to floods, the famous cathedral damaged

According to information published by the company on its website at 7:04 a.m., river traffic has been temporarily suspended, and it is currently not possible to estimate when regular services will be restored between these river ports in the municipalities of Almada and Lisbon. The overflow of the Tejo River caused flooding in the coastal areas of Alhandra and Vila Franca de Xira, in the greater Lisbon area.

Due to the floods, rail traffic on the Northern Line between Cacilhas and Alverca has been suspended, while National Road EN10 is closed in the south-north direction near Vila Franca de Xira. In Setúbal district, in the municipality of Alcácer do Sal, a total of 89 people were evacuated between yesterday and this morning due to floods caused by the overflow of the Sado River. Local civil protection authorities stated that the river level is rising due to the tide, and it was necessary to wait for a gradual decrease in flow.

Subregional Commander for Emergency and Civil Protection of Alentejo Litoral, Tiago Budo, said that none of the evacuees were injured and praised the efforts of around 80 firefighters, police officers, and municipal service personnel.

In the north of the country, a landslide at 4:33 a.m. led to the closure of National Road EN222 in Vila Nova de Gaia, in Porto district, near the bridge over the Ave River.

In the city of Porto, the rise of the Douro River was assessed as stable, with a maximum level of 5.10 meters overnight, which is below the highest level of 5.30 meters recorded in previous days. Deputy Commander of the Douro Port Authority, Pedro Servanes, stated that the stabilization was achieved thanks to coordination with the dams, but warned that stricter restrictions along the riverbanks could be introduced if rainfall continues or intensifies. He emphasized that coordination is carried out with the energy company EDP, the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), civil protection services, and local authorities.

The National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection warned that there is still a high risk of significant flooding in areas along the Vuga, Mondego, Tejo, Sorraia, and Águeda rivers, as well as an increased risk of flooding due to rising levels of the Douro, Cávado, Ave, Lima, Tâmega, Lis, and Sado rivers. Since last week, after storms Kristin and Leonardo, a total of 11 people have died in Portugal, and several hundred injuries and displacements have been reported.

In Spain, 150 roads closed due to the storm, one person missing

One person has gone missing in Andalusia amid severe weather caused by Storm Leonardo, which hit the Iberian Peninsula. Thousands of people have been displaced, flooding has occurred, and rail traffic has been disrupted or suspended in some parts of Spain, reports El País.

All of Spain, except for Catalonia and the Basque Country, is on alert due to the impact of wind, rain, and high waves, and seven regions have issued orange weather warnings: Andalusia, Balearic Islands, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Galicia, and the Region of Murcia.

A total of 150 roads have been closed due to flooding and landslides, of which 140 are in Andalusia, with Cádiz being the hardest-hit province. The regional government of Andalusia has suspended classes in schools in the province of Almería, while classes will gradually resume in other provinces, including the provincial capitals of Jaén and Granada. The company Renfe has suspended several train services to and from Vigo, as well as numerous rail services in Andalusia, including the AVE high-speed train between Madrid and Málaga.

Meanwhile, the Civil Guard continues the search for a woman who fell into the Turvilla River in the municipality of Sayalonga in Málaga on Wednesday evening. She went missing while walking dogs with another woman. When one of the dogs fell into the river, she tried to rescue it, but the river current swept her away.

A yellow weather alert has been issued for Aragón, Cantabria, Madrid, Navarra, and La Rioja due to wind, as well as for Asturias and the Canary Islands due to maritime storms, and for Valencia and the enclave of Ceuta due to wind and waves.

One of the bronze lilies toppled from the cathedral bell tower

Strong winds brought by Storm Leonardo toppled one of the bronze lilies that decorate the Giralda Cathedral in Seville, the police reported today. The incident occurred around 6:00 a.m., and according to the Cathedral Chapter, the ornament was located on the southeast part of the cathedral tower, installed on the cathedral in 1751, reports El País.

Emergency services in Seville blocked off part of the area around the cathedral early Thursday morning after several pieces of the tower collapsed, and the bronze lily—one of four installed—fell directly to the ground. A separate lily is integrated into the Renaissance finial, which is currently awaiting the completion of the permit process to begin restoration. The detached lily is made of cast bronze and is part of a set of four identical lilies, which, after deterioration, were removed and replaced in the 1970s.