Massive flooding in Portugal

Spanish rescuers searched Thursday for a woman missing after a new storm hit the Iberian peninsula, as Portugal warned of a heightened flood risk after several months’ worth of rain fell in a few hours.

One death has already been confirmed in Portugal from the seventh storm to hit the peninsula this year.

Portugal has barely recovered from last week’s battering by rain and winds that killed five people, injured hundreds and left tens of thousands without power.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the length, intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as the floods and heatwaves that have struck the Spain and Portugal in recent years.

Storm Leonardo on Wednesday dumped more than 40 centimetres (15 inches) of rain in some districts of Andalusia, southern Spain, the equivalent of several months of rainfall. Thousands of people were evacuated and roads and rail lines paralysed.

Portuguese officials on Thursday issued their highest flood alert for the Tagus river in the Santarem region.