Cyclone Hayley Hits Western Australia and Floods Impact Southern Spain
Cyclone Hayley formed on 28 December in the southern Indian Ocean and tracked toward the north coast of Western Australia. The cyclone intensified to category 2, with sustained winds reaching 105 mph at its peak. It made landfall on the north-west coast of Western Australia on Tuesday night, crossing the Dampier Peninsula near Lombadina, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued warnings for flash flooding and possible property damage. Two homes lost their roofs and roads were closed due to debris, with cleanup expected to take weeks. The north-west Australian coast is prone to tropical cyclones; the December 2025 to January 2026 period has seen five storms so far, including Hayley.
Separately, heavy rainfall affected southern Spain and Portugal during the final weekend of 2025 due to a low-pressure system off the Iberian coast. The Costa del Sol experienced severe flooding, with streets turning into rivers and cars swept away by debris. Two people remain missing and one death has been reported.
