Portugal's Presidential Election on Hold as Storm Leonardo Lashes Iberian Peninsula
Heavy rains and powerful winds have brought Portugal and Spain to a standstill, forcing the evacuation of over 7,000 people and leaving at least two dead. As a result, calls are growing for the second-round presidential election in Portugal to be postponed.
The storm, known as Storm Leonardo, has caused widespread disruption, with water seeping through the walls of homes in mountain villages and large parts of the town of Alcácer do Sal remaining submerged for a third day. The situation is being closely monitored by authorities, who are warning of significant flooding along six major rivers, including the Tagus.
The presidential election, scheduled to take place on Sunday, has sparked calls to delay it by a week. André Ventura, leader of the far-right Chega party, argued that the vote should be postponed as it is "a matter of equality among all Portuguese". However, the national electoral authority has rejected these demands, stating that a state of emergency or adverse weather conditions are not sufficient reason to postpone voting.
Meanwhile, Spain's state meteorological office, Aemet, has issued orange and yellow weather alerts for several regions, warning of heavy rain and strong winds. The storm is expected to bring significant disruption to the olive harvest, with losses estimated at €200 million (approximately £174 million).
As Storm Leonardo continues to batter the Iberian peninsula, scientists are sounding a warning about human-driven climate breakdown, which they say is increasing the length, intensity, and frequency of extreme weather events such as floods and heatwaves.
With the situation remaining fluid, it remains to be seen whether the second-round presidential election in Portugal will go ahead as scheduled or be postponed due to the severe weather conditions.
Heavy rains and powerful winds have brought Portugal and Spain to a standstill, forcing the evacuation of over 7,000 people and leaving at least two dead. As a result, calls are growing for the second-round presidential election in Portugal to be postponed.
The storm, known as Storm Leonardo, has caused widespread disruption, with water seeping through the walls of homes in mountain villages and large parts of the town of Alcácer do Sal remaining submerged for a third day. The situation is being closely monitored by authorities, who are warning of significant flooding along six major rivers, including the Tagus.
The presidential election, scheduled to take place on Sunday, has sparked calls to delay it by a week. André Ventura, leader of the far-right Chega party, argued that the vote should be postponed as it is "a matter of equality among all Portuguese". However, the national electoral authority has rejected these demands, stating that a state of emergency or adverse weather conditions are not sufficient reason to postpone voting.
Meanwhile, Spain's state meteorological office, Aemet, has issued orange and yellow weather alerts for several regions, warning of heavy rain and strong winds. The storm is expected to bring significant disruption to the olive harvest, with losses estimated at €200 million (approximately £174 million).
As Storm Leonardo continues to batter the Iberian peninsula, scientists are sounding a warning about human-driven climate breakdown, which they say is increasing the length, intensity, and frequency of extreme weather events such as floods and heatwaves.
With the situation remaining fluid, it remains to be seen whether the second-round presidential election in Portugal will go ahead as scheduled or be postponed due to the severe weather conditions.
And then there's this presidential election thing... I mean, I get the logic behind postponing it, but at the same time, it's like, what's equality even got to do with anything? 
It's like, we need to take care of our planet before it takes care of us.
, this storm is so intense! 7,000 people evacuated and two dead... my heart goes out to all those affected by Storm Leonardo 
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. But you know what's even more concerning? The scientists are sounding a warning about human-driven climate breakdown 
. It's like, we knew this was coming, but it's still so scary and overwhelming.
. I just hope they can get everything sorted out soon and people can focus on rebuilding and moving forward again 
. Sending lots of love and positive vibes to Portugal and Spain right now 
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. And it's not just the people who are suffering, the environment is getting hit hard too - all that rain is causing so much flooding and destruction 
. I'm also thinking about those farmers who lost their olive harvest... €200 million is a lot of money 
. As for the presidential election, I think it's good that some ppl are saying we should prioritize public safety over politics 
. Can't wait to see how the politicians handle this one... I'm sure it'll be a real nail-biter (yawn). On the bright side, I guess it's giving everyone a chance to practice their evacuation skills and whatnot 
. And let's not forget about the olive harvest 
. Guess that just goes to show how connected our weather is to our economy these days 
Storms like this are so unpredictable and can cause such damage 
. It's just one of those times where you gotta weigh the importance of democracy against the power of Mother Nature 
And now the presidential election is getting delayed... that's not helping anyone who was already feeling anxious about the whole thing 
. Like, seriously, André Ventura thinks the vote should be postponed because it's "a matter of equality among all Portuguese"? Give me a break! It's not about you, dude, it's about making sure people can exercise their right to vote without getting swept away by a storm 
.
. I get it, rising temps are no joke, but let's not exaggerate things too much. A little rain never hurt anyone, right? 
. Seriously though, can't we just focus on being prepared for extreme weather events instead of freaking out all the time? 
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and btw, €200 million lost 2 the olive harvest is a huge deal 
. I'm all for delaying that presidential election by a week 
- safety first! 
The government should prioritize the citizens over a vote 
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... scientists are right, we need to take action ASAP 
. And poor Spain 
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? I mean, safety and sanity are way more important than one vote 
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. But what if it gets worse? What if there are more deaths or something? You gotta consider the human cost here 
. I'm just glad no one was killed... yet. Fingers crossed the election doesn't get postponed, but if it does, maybe they can reschedule for when things calm down? That'd be better than voting in the middle of all this chaos