Portugal’s Devastating Floods Trigger Evacuations and Highway Collapse

In central Portugal, thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate their homes as the Mondego River overflowed its banks. The resulting floods have wreaked havoc, inundating roads, damaging essential infrastructure, and submerging extensive farmland.

In the Coimbra region alone, at least 3,000 individuals were evacuated following heavy rainfall that led to a levee breach. This incident triggered severe flooding in the city and its neighboring areas, as reported by civil-protection authorities. Additionally, a section of Portugal’s primary north-south highway, the A1, collapsed near Coimbra, according to Brisa Auto-Estradas de Portugal SA, the highway’s concession operator.

Since the storms began at the end of January, hundreds more have been displaced across the country. Tragically, at least 16 lives have been lost due to the severe weather conditions. Successive storms have pushed several of Portugal’s major rivers to alarming levels, with the Douro River, which flows through Porto in the north, overflowing in multiple locations and flooding riverside towns. Meanwhile, the Tejo River has reached its highest level since 1997, and the Sado River has seen levels not recorded since 1989.

The ongoing crisis has intensified scrutiny of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s government. Opposition parties and local officials have criticized the administration for what they perceive as inadequate preparedness and response to the flooding. Political pressure mounted further following the resignation of Interior Minister Maria Lúcia Amaral late Tuesday, amid growing discontent regarding the government’s management of the winter storms.

Read more: Portugal Rolls Out €2.5 Billion Aid as Deadly Flooding Spreads
In light of the escalating political fallout, Parliament’s biweekly debate, initially set for Wednesday, has been postponed to Friday. Montenegro has also canceled a planned trip to Brussels and is expected to attend the government’s weekly cabinet meeting later Thursday as emergency operations continue.

Photograph: Flooded farmland after Storm Leonardo in Alcacer do Sal, Portugal, on Feb. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Adri Salido/Getty Images Europe

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics
Flood

In central Portugal, thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate their homes as the Mondego River overflowed its banks. The resulting floods have wreaked havoc, inundating roads, damaging essential infrastructure, and submerging extensive farmland.

In the Coimbra region alone, at least 3,000 individuals were evacuated following heavy rainfall that led to a levee breach. This incident triggered severe flooding in the city and its neighboring areas, as reported by civil-protection authorities. Additionally, a section of Portugal’s primary north-south highway, the A1, collapsed near Coimbra, according to Brisa Auto-Estradas de Portugal SA, the highway’s concession operator.

Since the storms began at the end of January, hundreds more have been displaced across the country. Tragically, at least 16 lives have been lost due to the severe weather conditions. Successive storms have pushed several of Portugal’s major rivers to alarming levels, with the Douro River, which flows through Porto in the north, overflowing in multiple locations and flooding riverside towns. Meanwhile, the Tejo River has reached its highest level since 1997, and the Sado River has seen levels not recorded since 1989.

The ongoing crisis has intensified scrutiny of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s government. Opposition parties and local officials have criticized the administration for what they perceive as inadequate preparedness and response to the flooding. Political pressure mounted further following the resignation of Interior Minister Maria Lúcia Amaral late Tuesday, amid growing discontent regarding the government’s management of the winter storms.

Read more: Portugal Rolls Out €2.5 Billion Aid as Deadly Flooding Spreads
In light of the escalating political fallout, Parliament’s biweekly debate, initially set for Wednesday, has been postponed to Friday. Montenegro has also canceled a planned trip to Brussels and is expected to attend the government’s weekly cabinet meeting later Thursday as emergency operations continue.

Photograph: Flooded farmland after Storm Leonardo in Alcacer do Sal, Portugal, on Feb. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Adri Salido/Getty Images Europe

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics
Flood