Spain has issued red weather warnings for Tuesday, 10 November 2026, as storms Bruna and Charles bring torrential rain to the west and south of the country. The highest-level rainfall alerts cover northern Caceres in Extremadura and southern Avila in Castilla y Leon, where up to 120 millimetres of rain could fall in just 12 hours.

Spain's State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, activated the red warnings from 9am until 11.59pm on Tuesday. Both areas face forecast accumulations of 120 litres per square metre within 12 hours, the equivalent of 120 millimetres of rain. AEMET warned: Red alert: Very heavy rainfall. Extreme danger. Flooding and a significant rise in water levels. Exercise extreme caution!

Orange warnings are in place for surrounding areas, including the Tajo and Alagon district of Caceres and the Sierra de San Vicente in Toledo, where heavy rain is also expected.

How much rain is expected

AEMET has warned that the combination of Storm Bruna and the approaching Storm Charles could produce exceptionally heavy rainfall across western and southern Spain between 10 and 12 November. Spanish Civil Protection authorities say cumulative rainfall could locally exceed 300 millimetres during the wider storm episode, increasing the risk of rivers overflowing, flash flooding and landslides.

The predicted 120-millimetre totals and possible 300-millimetre accumulations are forecasts, not measurements of rain that has already fallen. AEMET expects the broader episode of heavy rain, strong winds and hazardous maritime conditions to continue until approximately Thursday, 12 November.

AEMET said in a special weather bulletin issued on 9 November that Storm Charles would rapidly intensify as it approached the Iberian Peninsula. Wednesday, 11 November, is expected to be the most severe day, with the western part of the Central System mountain range facing rainfall of more than 120 to 150 millimetres, and rain also reaching 100 millimetres during the day in Andalusia, including Malaga.

Storm Charles, a subtropical system

Storm Charles was officially named by the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) on Monday, 9 November, as the low-pressure system moved eastwards across the Atlantic. It is a system of subtropical origin, formed at lower Atlantic latitudes, and was tracked by the US National Hurricane Center because of the possibility that it could develop into a tropical cyclone.

Forecasters say Charles will bring significant unsettled weather to Madeira and will reach the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula on Wednesday afternoon, where heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas are expected. Gusts of 100 to 120 km/h are expected in exposed areas, and could be higher locally. What is certain, according to forecasters, is that no hurricane is expected to reach mainland Spain.

In Madeira, the worsening weather is expected between the end of Tuesday, 10 November, and the morning of Wednesday, 11 November. IPMA has issued orange-level warnings for the island, with persistent and at times heavy rain, accumulations of more than 100 millimetres in 12 hours in some areas, especially in the mountains, and gusts of 80 to 100 km/h, reaching around 130 km/h on high ground.

Storm Bruna's impact so far

Storm Bruna has already affected Spain and Portugal and is expected to remain positioned north-west of the Iberian Peninsula while Charles moves towards the region. The two systems are separate, although both are contributing to a prolonged period of unsettled conditions in the eastern Atlantic.

In Madeira, Bruna caused widespread disruption over the weekend. At least 53 flights were cancelled at Madeira Airport on Sunday, 8 November, including 26 arrivals and 27 departures, affecting connections with Lisbon, Porto, London, Bristol, Madrid, Paris and Amsterdam. Cunard's Queen Anne cancelled its scheduled visit to Funchal on 8 November, and P and O Cruises' Azura removed its scheduled call on 9 November.

Charles is the third named storm of the 2026-2027 season, after Adam, which remained over the Spanish Mediterranean, and Bruna. Residents in the warning areas are advised to follow AEMET and Civil Protection updates, avoid riverbanks and flooded roads, and check travel conditions before setting out.