Storm Harry
Storm Harry on 21 January | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 16 January 2026 |
| Dissipated | 23 January 2026 |
| Extratropical cyclone | |
| Highest gusts | 81 mph (36 m/s; 70 kn; 130 km/h) at Mount Teide, Tenerife |
| Lowest pressure | 995 hPa (29.38 inHg) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 390+ |
| Areas affected | Canary Islands, Spain, Portugal, France, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Malta |
| Power outages | Unspecified |
Part of the 2025–26 European windstorm season | |
Storm Harry, also known as Cyclone Harry, was a catastrophic and deadly extratropical cyclone that impacted countries surrounding the Mediterranean in mid January 2026. It was responsible or partially responsible for upwards of 380 deaths of migrants who were trying to cross the Mediterranean sea by boat which capsized during the storm. The death toll could be much higher: according to the NGO Mediterranea, around 1,000 migrants are believed to have lost their lives attempting the crossing. The storm caused as well the 2026 Gelida train derailment and the 2026 Niscemi landslide.
Harry was named by the South-Western Group (Météo-France, AEMET, and IPMA) as the eighth high-impact storm of the 2024–25 season.
The storm formed as a "cut-off low" or DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos) over the Iberian Peninsula. High-pressure blocks further north caused the system to remain nearly stationary, leading to prolonged and intense impacts.