According to Aon, a series of Atlantic storms hit southwestern Europe in late January and early February, with Storm Christine being the worst ever recorded in Portugal and possibly one of the costliest reinsurance/insurance loss events ever recorded in Portugal.
Since January 18, 2026, eight consecutive low pressures have affected southwestern Europe, especially Portugal and Spain, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall.
These include Storm Harry (January 18-20), Christine (January 22 and January 28), Ingrid/Leonie (January 23), Chandra/Norma (January 27), Querida and Romina (February 2), Leonardo/Stephen (February 4-7) and Marta (February 8).
The strongest wind impacts were associated with Storm Christian, with peak gusts reaching 208.8 km/h (129.7 mph) in the Coimbra region on January 28. If verified by Portugal’s National Meteorological Institute (IPMA), it would mark the strongest storm recorded in the country since systematic observations began, surpassing the previous record of 176.4 km/h (109.6 mph) set by Storm Leslie.
Christian caused severe wind damage to several areas along Portugal’s west-central coast, including Coimbra, Leiria, Santarem and Lisbon. The Portuguese government declared a state of disaster in the hardest-hit areas from January 29 to February 8.
Reported damage included widespread impacts to residential and commercial properties, including structural roof and facade damage, vehicle damage, and forest damage, particularly in the Leiria National Forest.
About 1 million customers were without power, 6,300 kilometers (3,900 miles) of the grid were affected and more than 5,800 utility poles were damaged.
In addition to damaging winds, multiple storm systems brought prolonged periods of heavy rainfall, triggering river flooding and putting additional pressure on reservoirs. Floods affected Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Coimbra, Évora, Faro, Santarem, Setúbal, Lisbon, Leiria, Portalegre, Porto, Viana do Castelo and Viseu.
Portugal has reported at least 13 deaths and nearly 1,100 injuries due to severe weather events since January 28.
In Spain, Storm Christian killed one person and knocked out power to about 170,000 customers in Andalusia.
Widespread flooding caused by waves of rainfall, including Storm Leonardo, has affected southern Spain since early February, causing further significant impacts. Affected areas include Andalusia, Extremadura, Galicia, Castile and León, Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid, with approximately 11,000 people displaced. Aon noted that this trend is expected to continue until mid-February, as current meteorological conditions continue to favor the movement of storm systems across the Iberian Peninsula and southern Europe.
The storm also affected other areas, but to a lesser extent. In Morocco, Storm Leonardo caused heavy rains and flash floods, displacing more than 150,000 people. Storm Marta caused further flooding and landslides, severely affecting Tangier, Salé and Casablanca. At least four people were reported dead, infrastructure was damaged and about 60 homes were affected.
Aon said early government assessments showed that direct economic losses from Storm Christine to Portugal could exceed 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion), equivalent to about 1.5% of Portugal’s GDP. The Portuguese farmers’ federation estimates losses in agriculture and forestry alone at 775 million euros ($920 million).
The Portuguese government has launched emergency support measures, offering grants of up to €10,000 ($11,900) to repair damage to main residences and agriculture or forestry. These grants are available even without insurance, subject to CCDR and local authority checks.
Preliminary market data and government estimates suggest insured losses in Portugal could reach hundreds of millions of euros, or about 500 million euros ($590 million). Lines most affected include residential real estate, commercial and industrial assets, utilities and energy infrastructure, motor insurance and other secondary lines.
“Portugal’s three largest insurance companies have received tens of thousands of claims, the majority related to Storm Christine. As a result, Christine is likely to be one of the most expensive (re)insurance loss events ever recorded in Portugal,” Aon said.
In Spain, authorities expect widespread flooding to cause hundreds of millions of euros in additional economic and insured losses, mainly linked to storms Leonardo and Marta, which brought heavy rainfall.
Spain’s Association of Allied Agricultural Insurance Insurance Entities (Agroseguro) estimates that more than 40,000 hectares (98,800 acres) of farmland are affected, with insured agricultural losses initially estimated at 35 million euros ($42 million). Economic losses in agriculture are expected to exceed 500 million euros ($590 million), while preliminary government assessments suggest total economic losses could reach 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion).
