Portugal Reels from Deadly Tornado and Days of Extreme Weather
Storm Claudia continued its destructive sweep across southwestern Europe, leaving a tragic trail in Portugal where three people lost their lives and dozens more were injured. For several days, Portugal and neighbouring Spain endured relentless extreme weather, with Claudia’s powerful winds and torrential rains intensifying as the storm expanded toward Britain and Ireland.
Authorities confirmed that an elderly couple was found dead inside their flooded home in Fernão Ferro, located south of Lisbon. The pair had been asleep when rising nighttime waters filled their residence, trapping them before they could escape. The discovery underscored the unforgiving conditions gripping the region as emergency crews worked around the clock to respond to widespread damage.
On Saturday, the situation escalated further when a violent tornado barrelled into Albufeira in southern Portugal. Video footage shared online captured the tornado ripping through a campsite, destroying caravans and leaving devastation in its wake. One 85-year-old British woman was killed at the site, according to regional civil protection commander Vítor Vaz Pinto. Twenty-eight others were injured in a nearby hotel, with two remaining in hospital in serious condition.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa released a statement expressing solidarity with the victim’s family and extending well-wishes to the injured. Meanwhile, the meteorological agency IPMA placed the entire Algarve, along with the Beja and Setúbal districts, on amber alert—the nation’s second-highest warning level—as harsh conditions persisted.
Britain Faces Widespread Flooding as Storm Moves North
As Claudia pushed northward, Britain faced its own severe impacts. In southeastern Wales—particularly the town of Monmouth—catastrophic flooding submerged town centres and residential zones after nearby rivers overflowed overnight. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service teams carried out urgent evacuations, rescues, and welfare checks throughout the region.
Officials described the flooding as highly disruptive, impacting homes, businesses, transportation routes, and energy infrastructure. Aerial footage revealed vast areas of Monmouth underwater, highlighting the scale of the disaster.
Natural Resources Wales issued 11 flood warnings, including four severe alerts signalling imminent threats to life, along with 17 broader flood alerts. In England, the Environment Agency reported 49 active flood warnings and 134 alerts as communities braced for further potential impacts.
Storm Claudia’s forceful arrival has triggered a cross-border emergency response, leaving thousands affected and prompting renewed concerns about the increasing severity and unpredictability of extreme weather events across Europe.
