Extreme weather has been wreaking havoc in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly impacting popular holiday destinations for Norwegians like the Algarve in Portugal and Andalusia in Spain. Following storm 'Leonardo,' which resulted in fatalities and thousands displaced, the new storm 'Marta' has continued the trend of destruction, with reports indicating further loss of life and property. As many as several hundred thousand residents have evacuated, facing road closures, landslides, and flooding in the wake of the severe conditions.

In Andalucía, an astonishing 672 millimeters of rain fell in just a day and a half, equal to what London receives in a year, leading to dire situations for both people and infrastructure. Tragically, in Portugal, a man in his 70s died when floodwaters swept away his car, while in Spain, a woman lost her life while trying to rescue her dog from a river. The storm is part of a troubling pattern of extreme weather, marking the third significant storm in a matter of weeks, with loss estimates surpassing 40 billion NOK (about 4 billion USD).

The occurrence of these storms highlights the mounting environmental challenges faced by the Iberian Peninsula and raises concerns about climate change and its impact on the region's weather patterns. The persistent storms not only threaten lives but also the economy, particularly in regions reliant on tourism, such as the Algarve and Andalusia, which are struggling under the burden of such catastrophic weather events. Local officials have emphasized the severity of the situation, noting that this is far from being a typical sunny holiday destination anymore.