Spanish PM urges caution as fresh rain heads for flood zone

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pleaded for caution from flood-hit residents on Friday as more rain was expected to drench parts of the Iberian Peninsula already saturated by a deadly storm.

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

This week's Storm Leonardo has left one dead in Portugal and lashed the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, where rescuers evacuated 8,000 people, and road and rail transport were severely disrupted.

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 both countries in recent years.

Spain's AEMET weather agency warned of Storm Marta's arrival on Saturday that could exacerbate conditions in some flooded municipalities that soaked in several months' worth of rain in 24 hours.

"It is highly likely to trigger further floods, spates and landslides" in mountainous parts of Andalusia, AEMET spokesman Ruben del Campo said in an audio note.

Sanchez visited a frontline coordination post in the province of Cadiz after surveying swathes of flooded fields in a helicopter, saying "we have all felt overwhelmed seeing all this relentless rain."

Faced with "complicated days" ahead as the new storm approached, he told the population "it is very important to be cautious" and called for "calm".

Rescuers on Friday found an unidentified body believed to be that of a woman swept away by a river in the municipality of Sayalonga earlier this week as she attempted to rescue her dog.

More from this section

Patriots seek Super Bowl history in Seahawks showdown

Jaguars recorded meowing in the wild for first time

Cuba says willing to talk to US, 'without pressure'

- Bracing for fresh storm -

In Portugal, where around 900 people have been evacuated, the IPMA weather agency said Marta would "contribute to another rise in river flows", notably in the south and the Lisbon region.

Dams had released in three days "a volume of water equivalent to the country's annual consumption", according to the president of Portugal's environment agency APA, Jose Pimenta Machado.

Civil Protection commander Mario Silvestre told a press conference that there had been "a slight improvement on the precipitation front" but warned of impending fresh rain and winds of up to 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour.

The Civil Protection authority said they had dealt with more than 7,500 incidents and mobilised more than 26,500 rescuers since Thursday.

The mayor of the northern Portuguese tourist city of Porto, Pedro Duarte, called for vigilance after the Douro river burst its banks and flooded some businesses.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro visited stricken areas of the country on Friday and spoke of a provisional estimate of damage exceeding four billion euros ($4.7 billion).

His government has already approved a reconstruction plan of 2.5 billion euros following last week's storm.

burs-imm/phz