In late January 2026, Japan was hit by heavy snowfall and cold temperatures, resulting in nearly 300 recorded injuries and the deaths of 30 people between 20 January and 3 February. Most of these were due to snow-related accidents, including while people were trying to remove snow from around their homes. While Japan is accustomed to heavy snowfall, this winter’s conditions were particularly severe. In the city of Aomori, accumulated snowfall reached the highest level recorded since 1986, and snow depth of more than double the seasonal average at about 175 cm.

In the weeks leading up to the 2026 election, Portugal was hit by a series of deadly storms that raged across the Iberian Peninsula, including Storm Leonardo, which hit just a couple of days before election day. The storms brought heavy rain, strong winds and rising river levels, causing the destruction of homes, businesses and equipment, fallen trees and structures, landslides, road closures, the closing of schools and transport services, and power and water cutoffs.