Storm Kristin

Satellite imagery of Kristin, a few hours before landfall in Leiria.
Meteorological history
Formed	27 January 2026
Dissipated	31 January 2026
Extratropical cyclone
Highest gusts	129.74 mph (58.00 m/s; 112.74 kn; 208.80 km/h) at Soure, Portugal[1] 148 mph (66 m/s; 129 kn; 238 km/h) at an amateur station in Lavos, Portugal[2]
Lowest pressure	975 hPa (731.3 mmHg; 28.79 inHg)
Overall effects
Fatalities	14 (7 direct, 7 indirect)[3]
Injuries	1,089+ (105+ direct, 984 indirect)[3][4]
Damage	More than €4 billion [5]
Areas affected	Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Italy, Greece, the Balkans, Ukraine
Power outages	1,170,000+
Part of the 2025–26 European windstorm season

Storm Kristin, also known as Tempestade Kristin (European Portuguese pronunciation: [/ˈkɾiʃ.tin/]) in Portugal, was a compact, catastrophic and record-breaking extratropical cyclone that severely impacted Portugal, as well as parts of the Mediterranean and Southeastern Europe in late January 2026. Storm Kristin was the twenty-sixth storm of the 2025-26 European windstorm season, and the eleventh to be named by the south-western naming group, which consists of France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Kristin was named by the IPMA on January 27, as a significant impact was forecasted. [6]

Kristin achieved record-breaking status by rapidly intensifying just before striking the Leiria district, becoming Portugal’s strongest on record. Kristin made landfall at peak intensity in the Leiria district, which resulted in extremely intense winds in multiple Portuguese districts. By exceeding the wind speeds of both Cyclone Xola in 2009 and Hurricane Leslie in 2018, the storm caused catastrophic damage. The extreme wind gusts of more than 200 km/h are attributed to a probable sting jet that developed as the system made landfall.[7] Before disappearing, Kristin also severely affected Spain and caused heavy precipitation in Italy and Greece.

Kristin especially affected the Portuguese districts of Leiria, Coimbra, and Santarém, but also affected other districts in Portugal such as Lisbon. After moving through Portugal, Kristin also affected Spain severely. Around 1,000,000 customers in Portugal were without power, according to E-Redes. [8] Approximately 170,000 customers experienced power outages in Andalusia. Almost 1,100 injuries were reported in Portugal, most of them got injured indirectly as a result of cleaning and reconstruction operations or misusage of generators. Furthermore, 13 deaths were attributed to Kristin in Portugal, seven direct and six indirect. One death and 5 injuries were reported in Spain. Estimated monetary losses in Portugal are more than €4 billion, which is more than 1% of the country's GDP, making Kristin the most damaging storm on record for Portugal. [9]

Kristin's successor, storm Leonardo, was responsible for causing major floodings in parts of Portugal, which exacerbated the impact of Kristin. [10]

On January 27, the IPMA used the name "Kristin" for the twenty-sixth storm of the 2025-26 European windstorm season and the eleventh storm to be named by the south-western naming group, as red warnings were issued for parts of Portugal. Kristin is a Scandinavian name and its meanings are "Christian" or "follower of Christ". [11][12]

At the end of January 2026, there was a persistent anticyclonic blocking between Greenland and Scandinavia, which resulted in the polar jet descending in latitude, resulting in a very favorable configuration for the strong development of low-pressure areas. Under influence of storm Joseph, also named Marilu by the FUB, a secondary low formed. This secondary low was named Kristin by the IPMA, as a significant impact was forecasted for parts of Portugal.

Enabled by very dynamic and favorable atmospheric conditions, Kristin rapidly intensified in the night before it made landfall. [13] During its explosive cyclogenesis, Kristin deepened to a minimum atmospheric pressure of 975 hPa. In the hours before Kristin made landfall in the Leiria district, the storm also developed a sting jet, which is a rare phenomenon that exclusively happens in extratropical cyclones with a warm core. [14]

Around 4:45 AM, Kristin made landfall as an extremely powerful storm, with gusts exceeding 200 km/h in some parts of the Leiria and Coimbra districts. In Soure, which is a municipality in the Coimbra district, a gust of 208.8 km/h has been measured, exceeding the previous record of 176.4 km/h by Leslie in 2018. Unofficially, a gust of 238 km/h has been measured in Lavos, which is also a parish in the Coimbra district. The Monte Real Air Base, which is located in the Leiria district, reported a gust of 178 km/h before the anemometer got damaged. The Leiria aerodrome measured a gust of 156.2 km/h, according to the IPMA. Lisbon measured a peak gust of 115 km/h. [15] Velocity radar imagery are indicative of wind speeds in excess of 60 m/s (>216 km/h) at a height of slightly above 600 meters at Kristin's peak intensity in the Leiria district. After making landfall, Kristin quickly moved over Portugal and weakened.

After moving through Portugal, Kristin caused strong winds and excessive precipitation in Spain. Gusts of 150.5 km/h were recorded in Benizalón, which is one of the strongest gusts ever recorded in Almería, alongside with gusts up to 131 km/h in Carboneras, 118 km/h in Laujar de Andarax, 116.3 km/h in the Calar Alto mountains, 113.8 km/h in Albox, and 111 km/h in Garuccha. [16]A maximum gust of 108 km/h was measured in Cáceres. [17] Madrid experienced snow, which happens a couple times per year.[18]

According to a research conducted by Manning et al. (2018), the frequency of extreme windstorms increases with 25-35% as a result of climate change. The main cause is the increased contribution of storms that develop a sting jet as a result of the global warming. [19] Kristin had a sting jet, which was responsible for its intensity, according to the IPMA.[20] Global warming also alters large-scale atmospheric circulations, which contributes to environments being more favorable for rapid cyclogenesis and persistent cyclonic influences.[21]

The IPMA issued widespread red warnings on January 27 for the northern and central districts, as gusts up to 140 km/h and an extremely rough sea was forecasted. The IPMA also warned that the impact could be catastrophic. [22]

The National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority elevated the country to Level 4 (Maximum State of Readiness) in the 24 hours prior to landfall, the highest possible tier of mobilisation. AEMET issued a rare red alert for the interior of Pontevedra (torrential rain >120mm) and parts of the southeast (Almanzora Valley/Almería) for hurricane-force gusts. Orange and yellow alerts covered the Spanish interior for gusts up to 100 km/h, while coastal regions braced for 8-meter waves along the Atlantic. Warnings were issued for the northern plateau (altitudes as low as 600m), threatening major transport arteries like the A-1 and A-6 motorways.[23]

The Italian Civil Protection issued orange alerts for Lazio, Sardinia, and Molise, citing high-speed winds and hydrogeological risks. Red alerts for avalanches were active in the Western Alps. Though the storm was named by IPMA, Greece issued an orange warning for Western Greece and the Aegean, forecasting intense thunderstorms and gale-force winds (9 Beaufort). Much of Southern Italy remained under a State of Emergency due to the compounded risk from the previous Storm Harry, which had already destabilized terrain in Niscemi, Sicily.[24]

Kristin made landfall as an extremely powerful storm in the Leiria district in the night of January 28, 2026. In Portugal, Storm Kristin was officially recognized as a historic and catastrophic event, with wind gusts reaching an unprecedented 208.8 km/h in the Coimbra region and unofficially 238 km/h in the Leiria district, surpassing records held by Hurricane Leslie. The IPMA also measured a gust of 178 km/h at the Monte Real air base before the monitoring equipment got destroyed by the storm.[25] The storm claimed six lives across the country, with fatalities caused by falling trees, structural collapses, and a tragic incident in the Algarve where a woman was swept away by a flooding stream. Another seven people died indirectly, as a result of recovery and cleaning operations or carbon monoxide poisoning by misusage of generators, bringing the total amount of deaths by Kristin in Portugal to 13. One of the seven indirect deaths is an employee of E-Redes, who got electrocuted while repairing electrical structures in Leiria. [26] According to Economy Minister Manuel Castro Almeida, Kristin caused a very significant shock to the country's economy and the direct costs of Kristin exceeds €4 billion, which surpasses the €120 million of damage caused by Leslie in 2018. [9] At the peak of the storm, nearly one million people—approximately 10% of the population—were left without power, while the district of Leiria was described as "unrecognisable" following a direct hit that destroyed the municipal stadium and severely damaged the Monte Real air base, including parts of the F-16 fighter fleet.[27][28] Some parishes and municipalities, especially in the Leiria, Coimbra, and Santarém districts, lost all communication. It was estimated that 170 of the 180 companies in the Meirinhas parish lost their roof, as a result of storm Kristin.[3]

Furthermore, Gonçalo Lopes, the mayor of Leiria, described Leiria as a "warzone," describing it will take more than a year to recover. According to him, churches lost roofs, sport halls lost roofs, many houses lost tiles, and houses and cars were completely destroyed. There were more than 100 injuries, as a direct result of Kristin.[4] The prime minister of Portugal, Luís Montenegro, admitted it will take many years before the Pombal area, which is an area in the heavily affected Leiria district, will be fully recovered.[3] A large part of the Leiria National Forest got devastated by Kristin.[29] According to construction companies in Leiria, there is no capacity for recovery, and it will most likely take more than a year for things to go back to the way they were before. Also, factories and houses are completely destroyed according to them.[30] In Leiria, schools were closed for at least a week, as a result of Kristin.[31] In the vicinity of Soure, almost all electricity poles were knocked down by Kristin, alongside with several trees. Soure also experienced multiple floods, due to Kristin.[32] Between 4,000 and 4,500 homes–around 80% or 85% of the municipality's homes–are estimated to be damaged in Ferreira do Zêzere, according to the mayor there. The mayor of Ferreira do Zêzere also estimates that full recovery will take a year and that 70% of the forest cover has fallen. Also, a majority of the buildings there got damaged according to the municipal coordinator of Civil Protection. A former president of the Ferreira do Zêzere council said "It was terrible. But the tornado lasted five minutes. It passed, destroyed everything, and that was it. This was an hour and a half." Ferreira do Zêzere experienced major power and communication outages, due to Kristin.[33]

Around 90% of businesses in Marinha Grande reported damage after Kristin. Almost all trees at the Castle of Leiria were destroyed by Kristin. [3] All churches in the Caranguejeira Pastoral Unit got severely damaged by Kristin. [34] According to the REN, 61 very high voltage poles and 774 kilometres of REN's very high voltage lines were taken down. [35] The Aliança Christian Community Church in Leiria lost its roof. [36] Kristin scattered asbestos roof tiles across the public roads. [37] The municipality of Figueiró dos Vinhos has 850 houses that suffered roof damage, as a result of Kristin. [3] The bus terminal of Leiria collapsed, which resulted in around 45 vehicles being damaged. [38] Kristin caused damage to cultural heritage in nearly 20 municipalities, such as the complete destruction of the Charolinha da Mata dos Sete Montes in Tomar and the loss of archaeological complexes at Forto Novo in Loulé.[39] According to the Confederation of Farmers of Portugal, the agricultural and forestry sections suffered losses of €775 million. [40] The Pedrógão Grande Volunteer Fire Department headquarters, which experienced severe structural damage and has been inoperable after Kristin, has suffered losses of around €720,000. [41] Several classrooms in a school in the Colmeais parish were flooded. [42] A small village of modular homes in Pero Negro got destroyed. [43] A kindergarten disappeared in Coucinheira and hundreds of houses lost their roofs in the municipality of Leiria. [44] 90 km of coastline got affected by Kristin. [45] By February 4, over 27,000 claims were submitted to the three largest insurance companies in Portugal. [46]

25 people were displaced in Alvaiázere and 95% of all businesses and homes were affected there. Furthermore, the local health center in Alvaiázere had to close due to structural damage. [47] Kristin resulted in the 'worst infrastructure destruction ever,' according to information obtained by Expresso. [48] Thousands of kilometres of power lines were affected by Kristin. [49] In Ansião, an agricultural supply store was completely destroyed. [50] A local company in Vila de Rei was entirely destroyed as well, with estimated losses exceeding half a million euros. [51] Kristin shattered several windows in the Figueira da Foz District Hospital, which resulted in a temporary closure of offices and the operating theatre in the hospital. [52] More than 500 medium and large trees were felled at the Sanctuary of Fátima. [53] In the Leiria region, two companies of the TJ Moldes group got destroyed, which leaves Porsche in Germany without parts. [54] The Leiria City Council spent €12 million on cleaning and recovery work by February 11, two weeks after Kristin. [55] Armando Ferreira, who is a victim of Kristin, directly compared Kristin to Cyclone Lothar, which is regarded as the most intense storm to have affected Europe during the 20th century. [56] In Leiria and Torres Vedras, greenhouses and crops were destroyed. [57]

By February 2, approximately 147,000 customers of E-Redes still experienced power outages. By February 5, the amount of customers of E-Redes without power decreased to 86,000. [3] As of February 11, two weeks after Kristin, 39,000 clients of E-Redes still experience power outages, most of them being from the Leiria district. [58] Two weeks after Kristin, only 40% of the municipality of Vila de Rei has access to communications. [59]

As the storm moved inland across Spain, it brought a rare and disruptive combination of hurricane-force winds and heavy snowfall. In the south, a woman was killed in Málaga by a falling palm tree, and the Almanzora Valley was placed under a red alert for extreme wind gusts. Central Spain faced significant travel chaos as over 170 roads were affected by snow; the A-6 motorway in Madrid was blocked, leaving dozens of drivers stranded. Additionally, the agricultural sector in Huelva and Almería suffered massive losses as torrential rains flooded greenhouses and high winds destroyed berry-producing tunnels. There were 170,000 power outages and 5 injuries reported in Andalusia. [60][61] Power outages were reported in several towns in Córdoba. [62] Gusts up to 99 km/h were reported in Seville, which led to a partial roof collapse of the Plaza Artena sports pavilion in Alcalá del Río and a partial roof collapse of a high school in Lebrija. [63] There were several fallen trees at the Lagunas de Ruidera. [64] A roof collapsed at the CEIP Javier Paulino school in La Solana. [65] Kristin caused significant damage to tunnel and greenhouse structures in Huelva, which affected the soft fruit sector. [66]

In Extremadura, the storm caused widespread wind- and rain-related incidents, prompting emergency coordination by the regional 112 Extremadura service. Between midnight and 18:00 on 28 January, 112 handled 2,500 calls and 455 incidents directly linked to the storm; from 26 January (15:00) to 28 January (18:00), it managed 5,260 calls and 1,462 incidents, including 535 related to the weather alert. Telecommunications were affected, with reported line outages in several areas—especially the north of the province of Cáceres—as strong gusts damaged infrastructure.

In the city of Cáceres, municipal incidents included falling trees and branches, as well as detached roof elements and masonry; no injuries were reported locally. A large fallen tree damaged part of a perimeter wall at an educational site, alongside additional tree falls at multiple locations across the city. A wind gust of 108 km/h was reported in Cáceres during the event. Road transport was also disrupted across the region. In the province of Cáceres, seven roads and three rural tracks were reported with circulation problems (snow, river overflows, or waterlogged carriageways), and two trucks overturned on the A-66 due to strong winds. As a precaution, the regional government suspended morning classes across Extremadura on 28 January, citing forecasts of heavy rain, snow and strong gusts; snow warnings specifically covered northern areas of the province of Cáceres. Regional emergency and forest-fire crews (Infoex) were deployed to address material damage, including removal of loose roof tiles and clearing wind-blown objects, in multiple localities—several of them in the province of Cáceres—such as Grimaldo, Casares de Hurdes, Hinojal, Brozas, Valdesalor, Garciaz, Membrío, Bohonal de Ibor, and Garrovillas de Alconétar. According to Cotality, the estimated insured losses are between €40 million and €100 million for Spain. [67] Gusts of 102 km/h were reported in Jerez de la Frontera, which caused damage to 135 trees. [68]

In Italy, the arrival of Kristin compounded a pre-existing state of emergency in the south, following the damage already inflicted by Storm Harry that affected the country a week before Kristin. The Italian Civil Protection Department issued orange alerts for Lazio, Sardinia, and Molise due to the risk of landslides and torrential rain, particularly threatening the town of Niscemi, Sicily, where a massive 4km-long landslide remained active. In the north, the storm triggered high-level avalanche warnings in the Western Alps, while transport networks faced widespread delays, with rail protocols activated to allow for emergency rebookings as gale-force winds hit the Mediterranean coast.

Pope Leo XIV expressed his condolences for those who have died and spiritual closeness to their families. He, reportedly, felt deeply close to the situation of the injured, the displaced, and all those who have been affected by the extensive damage caused by Kristin.[69] Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, expressed her deepest solidarity on X. According to Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union stands ready to support Portugal's recovery.[70] Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, expressed solidarity with Portugal and thanked those who "are working tirelessly, day and night, to protect lives and restore services," alongside with sharing the grief of those who have lost loved ones.[71] Dan Jørgensen, the commissioner for Energy and Housing of the European Commission, visited one of the most affected areas by Kristin on January 30 and mentioned on X that Europe stands in full solidarity with Portugal.[72] The Italian Embassy in Lisbon expressed their deepest solidarity with Portugal and its people. [73]

The government of Portugal announced on 28 January that they are permanently monitoring the impact of Kristin in Portugal and offered families of the victims its condolences.[74] Furthermore, a state of emergency was declared for 69 municipalities in response to the extraordinary impact of Kristin. The Leiria City Council and the Institute for Child Support provided psychological support for residents experiencing mental health problems and anxiety as a result of Kristin.[75] Multiple Portuguese artists, such as Iolanda, Ana Lua Caiano, Ana Mariano, and Marisa Liz, came together in Lisbon on February 11 for a benefit concert to support the victims of storm Kristin. [76] The Portuguese Red Cross distributes around 10,000 tarpaulins to support families whose homes were damaged by Kristin. The Portuguese government announced a support package up to €2.5 billion.[77] The Leiria City Council cancelled the Leiria Fair of 2026 to focus on the reconstruction of the Leiria municipality. The Minister of Agriculture and the Sea José Manuel Fernandes requested the activation of the crisis reserve for agriculture in a letter to the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, after estimated losses of around €500 million in the agricultural sector. [3] Hundreds of volunteers and military personnel were distributing food, clothing, and roof tiles in Leiria. [78] The army and the Intermunicipal Community of Central Alentejo went to support the Leiria region. [79] The Attorney General of the Republic visited Leiria on February 10 to inspect the former Rodrigues Lobo High School, the Palace of Justice, and the building housing the Leiria Administrative and Tax Court. [80] The Portuguese Nurses Association launched a national campaign in early February to collect goods to support people who were affected by Kristin. [81] The Valença Volunteer Firefighters were supporting the population in the Leiria municipality between January 30 and February 3. [82] The Portuguese Volleyball Federation announced the creation of a support fund for affiliated clubs in the Leiria region affected by Kristin. [83]

• 2026 European storm training
• Hurricane Leslie (2018)