High-impact storm Francis is on its way to Spain and this is what it will bring in first few days of 2026
Named by the Portuguese weather agency, it is expected to deliver heavy rain, strong winds, rough seas and even snow to parts of the Spanish mainland
The New Year in the Andalucía region of southern Spain will arrive under a cloud. So, after the end of 2025 which has drawn to a close with adverse weather, it looks like a storm and heavy rain will be the main feature of the first weekend of 2026. And with a name of its own: Francis. The Portuguese weather agency has named the new storm that is expected to bring a strong storm of wind, waves, heavy rainfall and snow. And Spain's state Meteorological agency (Aemet) has announced widespread showers from Friday to Sunday and below-average temperatures, with maximum temperatures of 16C and minimum temperatures of 10 degrees from Saturday onwards.
This has been detailed by the regional delegate of Aemet, Juan de Dios del Pino, who has clarified that the weather truce will be maintained until the New Year. "For the remaining days of 2025, in Andalucía slightly cloudy or clear skies are expected, with no rain. However, for Thursday, more clouds and even rain are not ruled out in Huelva province and perhaps in the neighbouring provinces of Cadiz and Seville, and with no change in temperatures," he explained.
In this sense, del Pino said that from Friday, 2 January, onwards changes are expected due to the arrival of a storm, increasing the amount of cloud in the western half of Andalucía. The weekend, he said, "will continue to affect the area with rainfall in most of the region".
"On Monday, the day of the Three Kings parades, clearings will probably start to open up in the west, although the probability of rain will remain in eastern regions"
The specialised weather portal Meteored agrees: "For 3 and 4 January, the storm will move closer, it will deepen and its centre will subsequently move from the Gulf of Cadiz to the Mediterranean, where the weather will become more complicated. Storm Francis' minimum pressures will be very low for the time of year in the area of the Gulf of Cadiz," the weather specialists added.
According to Eltiempo.es, the storm's associated fronts will begin to enter Spain from the west of the mainland, leading to a general increase in cloudiness and the arrival of rain, "first in Galicia, the west of Castilla y León, Extremadura and western Andalucía, and then spreading towards the centre and north".
Francis will be the sixth high-impact storm of the 2025-2026 season. Its Atlantic origin and possible interaction with a northern cold air mass could complicate this meteorologically very busy winter.
What about the Three Kings?
Will Francis have an impact on the afternoon of the Epiphany parades? Aemet clarifies the situation expected on 5 January in Andalucía: "On Monday next week, the day of the Three Kings parades, clearings will probably start to open up in the western regions, but there is still a chance of rain in the second half of the day in the eastern regions", said Del Pino.
On Epiphany Tuesday (6 January), "cloudy or clear skies will most probably dominate in most of Andalucía". Therefore, no precipitation is expected for that day.
