Historedia
EuropeEvent

Hurricane strikes the Iberian Peninsula

When
1842
Where
Southwestern Spain
Episodes
1

A rare tropical cyclone formed in the far eastern Atlantic in late October 1842, developing to Category 2 intensity near Madeira. After brushing northwestern Morocco, the storm made landfall in southwestern Spain on October 29, becoming extratropical shortly thereafter. Records are scarce as the season predates the Atlantic hurricane database, relying on ship observations and early compilations.

Episodes

  1. October 24–29, 1842 · Southwestern Spain1842 Iberian Hurricane

    A Category 2 hurricane formed near Madeira, brushed Morocco, and struck southwestern Spain on October 29, 1842.

Background and detail

Historical Context. The 1842 Atlantic hurricane season produced one of the only known tropical cyclones to directly affect the Iberian Peninsula. Because the season falls outside the scope of the Atlantic hurricane database, records are scarce and tracks are approximate. Early cataloging efforts by Andrés Poey identified distinct systems in 1842, providing the basis for current historical knowledge of these rare events.

Formation and Intensity. An extremely rare hurricane formed in the far eastern Atlantic to the southwest of Madeira. First detected on October 24, the system intensified significantly. On October 26, a ship near Madeira recorded a barometric pressure of 965 mb, suggesting the storm had reached Category 2 intensity before approaching the European coast.

Landfall and Transition. The hurricane brushed the northwestern coast of Morocco on the night of October 28–29. It subsequently moved ashore over southwestern Spain on October 29. The storm likely became extratropical shortly after making landfall in Spain, marking a rare direct impact on the Iberian Peninsula.

People involved

  • Andrés Poey · 19th-century cataloger of Atlantic tropical cyclones (contextual background figure, not an event participant; role per his 1855 compilation)

Sources

  1. 1842 Atlantic hurricane season Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-21

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.