The latest depression, christened Storm Marta, has prompted the deployment of more than 26,500 rescuers in Portugal, where the foul weather has led three municipalities to postpone Sunday's presidential vote till next week.

Both countries have issued warnings over the potential fresh floods, after inundations blocked hundreds of roads, disrupted trains and forced thousands to evacuate from the rising waters.

In Spain, much of the country's south, particularly Andalusia, was placed on orange alert on Saturday, as was the north-west facing heavy rain and violent storms, said national meteorological agency Aemet.

But Aemet added it expected the rainfall to be less "exceptional" than seen in recent days during the Leonardo depression, which authorities say claimed two lives, including a woman swept away by a river in Andalusia and whose body was found on Friday.

Fresh rainfall Saturday in Andalusia comes on top of downpours which caused mass flooding, landslides and the evacuation of more than 10,000 people from their homes.

"The rivers have hit their limit," warned Juan Manuel Moreno, president of the Andalusia region, on X.

Many roads remained closed as a precaution and rail traffic is largely suspended, according to the authorities, who have called on the population to limit their travel as much as possible.

Mario Silvestre, commander in Portugal's civil protection agency, warned that the forecast was "extremely worrying", as quoted by the Lusa press agency.

His organisation fears gusts of wind reaching 110 kilometres (68 miles) per hour after Marta reaches the Portuguese coastline, along with landslides and flash floods.

"All the furniture is completely destroyed, the water broke the window, forced the doors open and then burst through the window from the other side," Francisco Marques, a municipal employee in the central village of Constancia, told AFP.

After flying over flood-hit areas in southern Spain near Cadiz on Friday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that "difficult days" lay ahead for the region as a result of the "very dangerous" weather forecast.

Sanchez added he was "bowled over at seeing the endless rain."

Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro warned the damage exceeded four billion euros ($4.7 billion).

Portugal was already reeling from the effects of Storm Kristin, which led to the deaths of five people, injured hundreds and left tens of thousands without power, when Leonardo hit earlier this week.

Portugal's National Meteorological Institute (IPMA) has placed the entire coastline on orange alert due to heavy sea conditions, with waves reaching up to 13 metres high.

Eight of the 18 districts on the mainland, located in the centre and south of the country, are also on orange alert.

"All river basins remain under severe pressure," particularly the Tagus River in the Lisbon region and the Sado River further south, a spokesperson for the National Civil Protection Authority told AFP.

One person died during the passage of Storm Leonardo earlier this week and 1,100 people were evacuated across the country, according to the authorities.

A succession of atmospheric depressions saw Portugal's dams release "a volume of water equivalent to the country's annual consumption" in just three days, said Jose Pimenta Machado, president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), on Friday.

Several hundred kilometres (miles) further south, Morocco has also also been hit by a series of violent storms, which have displaced 150,000 people in the north-west of the country in recent days.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the length, intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as the floods and heatwaves that have struck both countries in recent years.

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