Storm Leonardo Batters Southern Spain, Evacuating 7,500 in Andalusia

Storm Leonardo continues to batter southern Spain, with Andalusia now reporting 7,500 people evacuated amid ongoing flooding and landslides. The storm has isolated 17 municipalities and closed 83 roads in the region, as rescue operations intensify.

The situation has worsened since Thursday's initial impacts, when more than 150 roads were shut across Spain—140 in Andalusia alone—and 3,500 evacuations were carried out, mainly in Cádiz, Málaga, Jaén, Huelva, and Granada provinces. Cádiz remains the hardest hit, according to Spain's General Directorate of Traffic (DGT). Key highways like the A-44 at Campillo de Arenas toward Granada and the A-48 at Vejer de la Frontera to Tarifa are still blocked by landslides, while heavy rain and two accidents—one on the A-1 near Buitrago de Lozoya outside Madrid, and another on the A-7 near Picassent in Valencia—have compounded delays.

In Málaga, Cádiz, and Córdoba provinces, emergency teams including the Civil Guard and the Military Emergency Unit (UME) are working around the clock on rescues and evacuations. In Grazalema, a Cádiz village and national park that recorded over 530 litres per square metre of rain—surpassing its annual average of 523 litres—authorities yesterday ordered the full evacuation of residents due to devastating conditions. Late Thursday night, Civil Guard officers rescued a 75-year-old man from an isolated house and monitored the Barbos reservoir area for potential overflows.

A yellow alert persists in Seville province until 6pm Friday for wind gusts up to 70 km/h. Much of Andalusia's rail network remains out of service, and around 3,800 households are without power or fibre optic connections. Security forces have conducted preventive evacuations near rivers, reservoirs, and floodplains, including in Écija and El Palmar de Troya. Further details are pending.