[4] After making landfall and crossing northern Spain as a weak cyclone, Gloria stalled for several days over the western Mediterranean Sea, bringing heavy rainfall, snowfall and high winds to many areas across southern Europe and north Africa.

[6] After stalling off the coast of North America for several days, the system was first noted as Cyclone Ilka by the Free University of Berlin – who name all low-pressure areas affecting Europe – on 17 January,[4] while moving steadily eastwards across the open Atlantic.

AEMET, the Spanish meteorological agency, began issuing warnings on Storm Gloria on 18 January as the system was approaching the Iberian Peninsula.

After turning southeastwards and entering the Bay of Biscay, Gloria subsequently made landfall close to Santander in northern Spain on 19 January.

[7] Gloria quickly passed over northern Spain as a weak cyclone and then emerged into the western Mediterranean Sea, where it stalled for several days.

After looping for several days offshore to the south and west of Portugal,[11] Gloria dissipated on 25 January off the country's southern coast.

[1] Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia on the southeastern mainland were all impacted by record-breaking rainfall totals and, over higher ground, heavy snowfall and blizzards.

The worst coastal flooding was reported around the Ebro river delta south of Barcelona, where the storm surge swept up to 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) inland through low-lying rice paddies.

[14] At the Port of Barcelona, waves crashed as high as 7 metres (23 ft) over defences, flooding coastal properties; several boats broke free from their moorings, and at least one sank entirely.