Heavy rain, melt-water and gale-force winds linked to Atlantic storm “Kristin” once again tested Spain’s transport resilience on 1 February 2026. By mid-afternoon the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) listed 23 secondary roads shut by snow or ice—11 of them at the maximum ‘black level’—and 26 stretches rendered impassable by flooding, especially in Cádiz province.
The State Meteorology Agency (AEMET) maintained yellow alerts across Galicia, Castile-and-León and Extremadura for rainfall of up to 60 l/m², while coastal authorities warned of 5-metre waves along the Basque littoral. In Jerez de la Frontera, 150 residents remained evacuated after the Guadalete river burst its banks earlier in the week, and sections of the Madrid-Seville high-speed line operated at reduced speed due to water on the track bed.
For business-travellers the biggest headache was the knock-on effect on surface access to airports and industrial parks: logistics firms reported delivery times slipping by 12–18 hours on north-south corridors, and several regional rail services were replaced by buses. Airlines advised passengers to allow extra time to reach terminals and to check that their ground transport providers had winter equipment.
![Storm ‘Kristin’ snarls Spanish transport network with 23 roads closed and rail delays]()
At times like this, it is worth remembering that the first step in any contingency plan is making sure travel documents are in order. VisaHQ’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) allows companies and individual travellers to confirm visa requirements, renew passports and arrange ancillary services online in minutes, giving mobility managers one less variable to worry about when bad weather forces last-minute itinerary changes.
The episode is the latest reminder that climate-driven weather volatility is no longer a purely winter-sports concern. Mobility managers are updating duty-of-care protocols to include local flood maps and real-time DGT alerts, while insurers note a 27 % year-on-year increase in business-interruption claims linked to Spanish weather events.
AEMET expects the front to cross the peninsula overnight, but a second pulse of rain is forecast for 3 February. Companies with field staff in Galicia, León or rural Andalucía should be prepared for further disruptions and ensure that travellers avoid non-essential driving on mountain roads.
The State Meteorology Agency (AEMET) maintained yellow alerts across Galicia, Castile-and-León and Extremadura for rainfall of up to 60 l/m², while coastal authorities warned of 5-metre waves along the Basque littoral. In Jerez de la Frontera, 150 residents remained evacuated after the Guadalete river burst its banks earlier in the week, and sections of the Madrid-Seville high-speed line operated at reduced speed due to water on the track bed.
For business-travellers the biggest headache was the knock-on effect on surface access to airports and industrial parks: logistics firms reported delivery times slipping by 12–18 hours on north-south corridors, and several regional rail services were replaced by buses. Airlines advised passengers to allow extra time to reach terminals and to check that their ground transport providers had winter equipment.
At times like this, it is worth remembering that the first step in any contingency plan is making sure travel documents are in order. VisaHQ’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) allows companies and individual travellers to confirm visa requirements, renew passports and arrange ancillary services online in minutes, giving mobility managers one less variable to worry about when bad weather forces last-minute itinerary changes.
The episode is the latest reminder that climate-driven weather volatility is no longer a purely winter-sports concern. Mobility managers are updating duty-of-care protocols to include local flood maps and real-time DGT alerts, while insurers note a 27 % year-on-year increase in business-interruption claims linked to Spanish weather events.
AEMET expects the front to cross the peninsula overnight, but a second pulse of rain is forecast for 3 February. Companies with field staff in Galicia, León or rural Andalucía should be prepared for further disruptions and ensure that travellers avoid non-essential driving on mountain roads.
