One of the most powerful winter storms to hit Portugal in recent years, storm Kristin, caused severe destruction across central regions of the country, resulting in multiple fatalities, widespread power outages, and extensive damage to infrastructure.
Thousands of emergency incidents were reported nationwide. According to official sources, the storm caused at least five to six fatalities in Portugal, with many deaths linked to falling trees, collapsing structures, or flooding.
Authorities declared a state of calamity in several municipalities as emergency services worked around the clock to respond to thousands of incidents triggered by extreme weather conditions.
“This was an extreme and unprecedented meteorological event that placed enormous pressure on civil protection and emergency services across the country,” said a spokesperson for Portugal’s National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection. “Our priority has been to protect lives, restore essential services, and support the populations most affected by the storm.”
Central Portugal was among the hardest-hit areas, with districts including Leiria, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Guarda, and Médio Tejo experiencing violent winds, torrential rain, flooding, and landslides.
“Storm Kristin has had a profound impact on several regions of the country, particularly in central Portugal, and our thoughts are with the families affected by this tragedy,” said Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. “The government has mobilized all available resources to support civil protection efforts, restore essential services, and ensure that affected communities receive the assistance they need as quickly as possible.”
Wind gusts exceeded 124.3mph (miles per hour) in some locations, uprooting trees, damaging buildings, and disrupting transport networks. Heavy rainfall further exacerbated flooding in urban and rural communities, forcing temporary closures of schools and public services.
At the peak of the crisis, between 450,000 and nearly one million households were left without electricity due to damage to power lines and substations, with central regions among the most affected. Rail services, roads, and critical infrastructure suffered major disruptions, leaving some communities temporarily isolated.
The destructive impact of Storm Kristin extended to strategic and public facilities, including military and transport infrastructure, underscoring the storm’s exceptional intensity.
Meteorologists attributed the severity of Kristin to rapid atmospheric intensification, a phenomenon increasingly associated with extreme Atlantic weather systems affecting the Iberian Peninsula.
“Storm Kristin reflects a broader trend of more intense and rapidly developing Atlantic storms, which are becoming increasingly frequent in Portugal,” said a climate and meteorology expert from a national research institute. “These events highlight the urgent need to strengthen infrastructure resilience and improve preparedness for extreme weather.”
Portuguese authorities mobilized civil protection forces, firefighters, military units, and utility companies to restore services and assist affected populations. The government’s declaration of a state of calamity aimed to accelerate emergency response, recovery efforts, and financial support for damaged communities.
Storm Kristin is part of a broader sequence of intense Atlantic storms impacting Portugal and Spain in January 2026. As recovery efforts continue, authorities and experts warn that similar storms may become more frequent.
The storm developed over the North Atlantic in late January 2026, beginning to impact Portugal on January 27, rapidly intensifying as it approached the mainland, reaching its peak between January 27 and January 29. By January 29–30, Kristin began moving toward Spain and gradually weakening,
PAJ/Staff
