The recent storm, named 'Marta', has caused extensive flooding across Portugal and Spain, leading to the mobilization of over 26,500 rescuers in Portugal alone. As a result of this extreme weather, several municipalities in Portugal have postponed Sunday presidential elections by a week to ensure public safety during the ongoing crisis. Experts have linked these severe weather patterns to climate change, noting an increase in the duration, intensity, and frequency of extreme weather events such as floods and heatwaves in the Iberian Peninsula in recent years.

In Spain, particularly in the southern region of Andalusia, an orange alert has been issued due to the impending threat of further flooding. The region has already faced significant challenges as previous floods have blocked hundreds of roads, disrupted train services, and forced thousands of people to evacuate as water levels continued to rise. The Spanish government has taken preemptive measures, issuing flood warnings to alert residents of the potential dangers associated with the torrential rains.

Local officials, including the President of the Andalusian region, Juan Manuel, have expressed concerns that this is a severe series of storms unprecedented in recent history. As climate change continues to exacerbate weather patterns, the region may face more extreme weather conditions in the future, highlighting the urgent need for addressing environmental issues and infrastructure resilience to protect communities from such disasters.