Storm Charles brings flooding and flight cancellations across southern Europe

Storm Charles has brought heavy rain, strong winds and flooding across parts of southern Europe, with Portugal, Spain, southern France and northern Italy among the areas affected. The weather system first hit Madeira before moving on to mainland Portugal and then tracking north-east across the region. It has disrupted transport, damaged roads and prompted fresh warnings of more rain in the days ahead.

In Madeira, a wind gust of 84.5mph, or 136km/h, was recorded at Funchal airport, alongside rainfall totals of 355mm in 12 hours. In Lisbon, 183 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, which was around a third of the airport's normal daily traffic. Madrid Barajas airport also reported 155 cancellations, showing the scale of the disruption across major transport hubs.

The system then moved through southern France and towards northern Italy, where it caused significant flooding in parts of Cannes. Some of the flooding led to rock falls and the closure of roads along the French Riviera. The Italian weather service issued a red rainfall warning, its highest level, for an area stretching from Tuscany to Venice, underlining the seriousness of the forecast.

The latest warnings matter because the storm is affecting several countries at once and is still moving through densely populated and economically important areas. Heavy rain can quickly overwhelm drainage systems, trigger landslides and disrupt air and road travel, especially in coastal and mountainous regions. With further rain expected, local authorities are facing the risk of renewed flooding and additional transport delays.

The storm has followed a north-easterly track after first affecting the Iberian peninsula, where it caused widespread flooding in Spain and Portugal. The sequence of impacts shows how a single weather system can create a chain of disruption across multiple borders in a short period. It also highlights the vulnerability of airports, roads and coastal communities when strong winds and intense rainfall arrive together.

Forecast models indicate that another 100mm of rain could fall widely in the coming days, with totals close to 200mm possible in more mountainous areas. The Italian warning also points to the possibility of further impacts in the Balkans. What remains unclear is how long the system will persist and whether the heaviest rain will shift into new areas before conditions begin to ease.

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