The Portuguese army on Thursday (February 12) helped stranded residents evacuate the flood-hit towns of Ereira and Montemor-o-Velho using amphibious vehicles.

They also provided support to those who decided to remain in the area, amid fears water levels could worsen in the following days.

Swathes of Spain and Portugal were on high alert on Thursday as heavy rain and strong winds battered the Iberian peninsula, felling trees, disrupting transport and forcing the closure of schools in some areas.

In Portugal, a weather phenomenon known as an "atmospheric river" - a wide corridor of concentrated water vapour carrying massive amounts of moisture from the tropics - brought new downpours, affecting the north to a greater extent, where authorities have evacuated about 3,000 residents.

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) said Storm Oriana - a separate Atlantic depression approaching the north of the peninsula - would not directly affect mainland Portugal, but would cause heavy rainfall and wind across most of the country on Thursday and Friday.

Drone footage showed on Thursday (February 12) the collapsed part of the A1 motorway between Portugal's north and south near the medieval city of Coimbra after a levee broke underneath on Wednesday (February 11).

Swathes of Spain and Portugal were on high alert on Thursday as heavy rain and strong winds battered the Iberian peninsula, felling trees, disrupting transport and forcing the closure of schools in some areas.

Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz told reporters that restoring the affected stretch of the A1 motorway would take weeks, as repairs needed to wait for the floodwaters to recede.

In Portugal, a weather phenomenon known as an "atmospheric river" - a wide corridor of concentrated water vapour carrying massive amounts of moisture from the tropics - brought new downpours, affecting the north to a greater extent, where authorities have evacuated about 3,000 residents.

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) said Storm Oriana - a separate Atlantic depression approaching the north of the peninsula - would not directly affect mainland Portugal, but would cause heavy rainfall and wind across most of the country on Thursday and Friday.

The situation in Coimbra was stable overnight and there was no need to conduct additional evacuations, state news agency Lusa reported on Thursday, citing a source in the local civil protection service.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

MONTEMOR-O-VELHO, PORTUGAL (FEBRUARY 12, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

1. VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF PARTIALLY FLOODED TOWN NEAR BUILDINGS

EREIRA, PORTUGAL (FEBRUARY 12, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

2. VARIOUS OF PORTUGUESE ARMY SAILING ON AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE THROUGH ISOLATED AND FLOODED TOWN

3. FLOODED STREET

4. MAN WALKING THROUGH FLOODED STREET

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) EREIRA RESIDENT JOAQUIM SOUSA SAYING:

"The situation is that, judging by how the water looks and where it is, it has stabilized a bit, but we'll see whether it will be able to go down further or not."

6. LOCAL RESIDENTS WALKING THROUGH FLOODED STREETS

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) EREIRA RESIDENT JOAQUIM FELIPE SAYING:

"The water is already inside some houses. At my house it's almost getting in, I already have to go around the back (of house). I've moved everything upstairs, to the first floor. This is complicated."

8. PORTUGUESE FLAG / LOCAL RESIDENTS IN FLOODED STREET IN THE BACKGROUND

9. FLOODED BUILDING

10. VARIOUS OF ARMY SAILING CARRYING LOCAL RESIDENTS

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) UNIDENTIFIED PORTUGUESE SERGEANT FOR THE MARINE ARMY , SAYING:

"At the moment, we're taking advantage of the option of these amphibious vehicles, which allow us to travel both on land and through the water. We're already setting up transport for the population, and we're able to make the route from Montemor-o-Velho to the Ereira area, because we're afraid the flooding may accelerate even more. If that happens, we'll no longer be able to transport people by road, which is what the army has been managing to do. We're worried we may lose that ability, so we've already deployed these amphibious vehicles to get people to safety in Ereira."

12. VARIOUS OF ARMY SAILING

13. AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE LEAVING WATER , ARRIVING AT LAND WITH RESIDENTS

MONTEMOR-O-VELHO, PORTUGAL (FEBRUARY 12, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

14. VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF PARTIALLY FLOODED TOWN NEAR BUILDINGS

COIMBRA, PORTUGAL (FEBRUARY 12, 2026) (SIC - No use Portugal) (MUTE)

1. VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF BROKEN A-1 HIGHWAY AND MONDEGO RIVER WATER FLOWING NEAR BRIDGE

2. VARIOUS OF TRUCKS QUEUING

3. VARIOUS OF PARTIALLY BROKEN A-1 HIGHWAY

4. TRACTOR / BROKEN HIGHWAY AND WATER FLOWING NEAR BRIDGE

5. RIVER WATER FLOWING / BROKEN HIGHWAY