Key facts
- Storm Charles brought heavy rain and strong south-westerly winds to Madeira before reaching the Portuguese mainland on November 11, 2026.
- A wind gust of 84.5mph was recorded at Funchal airport, with rainfall reaching 355mm in 12 hours.
- Lisbon canceled 183 flights on Wednesday, around a third of its normal daily traffic; Madrid Barajas had 155 cancellations.
- The Italian weather service issued a red rainfall warning, its highest level, for the area from Tuscany to Venezia.
- Forecast models indicated an additional 100mm could accumulate widely in Italy and the Balkans, with totals close to 200mm likely in more mountainous areas.
Storm Charles brought heavy rain and strong south-westerly winds to the Iberian peninsula, starting in the Portuguese island of Madeira before the system headed toward the mainland on November 11, 2026. A wind gust of 84.5mph (136 km/h) was recorded at Funchal airport, alongside rainfall totals reaching 355mm in 12 hours.
Lisbon saw 183 flights canceled on Wednesday, around a third of its normal daily traffic, while Madrid Barajas airport had 155 cancellations. After causing widespread flooding in Spain and Portugal, the system moved on a north-easterly track through southern France and then toward northern Italy.
This resulted in flooding in parts of Cannes, some of which caused rock falls and led to the closure of roads along the French Riviera. The Italian weather service issued a red rainfall warning, its highest level, for the area extending from Tuscany to Venezia.
Further heavy rain is expected to fall in Italy and the Balkans over the next few days, with the latest forecast models indicating an additional 100mm could accumulate widely, while totals close to 200mm are likely in more mountainous areas.