Storm Kristin

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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 27 January, as a significant impact was forecast. The impact of Kristin and its successors was described as a humanitarian crisis by a researcher in extreme weather and climate change. Kristin achieved record-breaking status by rapidly intensifying in the hours before landfall. Kristin made landfall at peak intensity in the Leiria district, which resulted in extremely intense winds in multiple Portuguese districts. The IPMA measured the strongest gust in Portuguese history, surpassing the record of Hurricane Leslie in 2018. The extreme wind gusts of more than 200 km/h were attributed to a sting jet, that developed as the cyclone made landfall. A storm like Kristin had an estimated return period of 80–90 years, based on a reanalysis. Before disappearing, Kristin also affected Spain severely and caused heavy precipitation and thunderstorms in Italy and Greece. Kristin especially affected the Portuguese districts of Leiria, Coimbra, and Santarém severely, but also affected other districts in Portugal such as the Lisbon district. After moving through Portugal, Kristin also struck Spain with wind gusts of more than 170 km/h. As a result of Kristin, Portugal experienced its largest blackout in history. Around 1,000,000 customers in Portugal were without power, according to E-Redes. Approximately 170,000 customers experienced power outages in Andalusia. Kristin caused long-lasting and widespread communication outages in Portugal, lasting for several months. Kristin was responsible for a significant ecological impact in parts of Portugal, as tens of...