Storm Kristin

For similarly-named storms in the Western Pacific, see List of storms named Kristine.

Storm Kristin

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 148 mph (66 m/s; 129 kn; 238 km/h) at an amateur station in Lavos, Portugal
Lowest pressure	975 hPa (731.3 mmHg; 28.79 inHg)
Overall effects
Fatalities	10 (6 direct, 4 indirect)
Injuries	645+ (100+ direct, 545 indirect)
Damage	Approximately €1.5-2 billion
Areas affected	Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Italy, Greece, the Balkans, Ukraine
Power outages	1,000,000+
Part of the 2025–26 European windstorm season

Storm Kristin 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.

Kristin achieved record-breaking status by rapidly intensifying just before striking the Leiria district, becoming Portugal’s strongest storm on record. 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 are attributed to a probable sting jet that developed as the system made landfall.

Kristin especially affected the Portugese districts of Leiria, Coimbra, and Santarém, but also affected other districts in Portugal such as Lisbon. Around 1,000,000 customers in Portugal were without power, according to E-Redes. Furthermore, 10 deaths were attributed to Kristin in Portugal, 6 direct and 4 indirect. Estimated monetary losses in Portugal are between €1.5-2 billion, making Kristin the most damaging storm on record for Portugal.

Warnings & Preparation

Portugal & Spain

IPMA issued widespread red warnings for the northern and central districts, specifically forecasting hurricane-force winds of 140 km/h and extremely rough seas.

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.

Italy & Greece

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.

Storm Impact

Portugal

A ruined trampoline found in an undisclosed location after being blown away

Debris from after the initial disaster, clogging in a Leiria street

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 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. 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. 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.

Furthermore, 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, houses and cars were completely destroyed, and a nursery school in Coucinheira. There were more than 100 injuries, as a direct result of Kristin.

By February 2, approximately 147,000 customers of E-Redes still experienced power outages.

Spain

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.

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.[238] Two days later, a tornado struck Plasencia.

Italy

In Italy, the arrival of Kristin compounded a pre-existing state of emergency in the south, following the damage already inflicted by the previous week's Storm Harry. 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.