Portugal battered by Storm "Claudia" - 3 dead, and mini tornadoes.

I am writing this text about the depression — I prefer to call it a storm — Cláudia, which is currently crossing Portugal.

In my opinion, this is one of the worst storms we have faced in recent years.

On average, a storm takes about three days to cross the country, after which its effects begin to dissipate. However, the mega-storm Cláudia, which in satellite images shows a diameter of around 2000 km, will take approximately five days to pass: it began on 12 November and should only end on 16 November.

So far, more than 2700 incidents have been recorded — floods, fallen trees and structures, as well as downed high-voltage poles — and three fatalities.

Two of these deaths occurred on the first day: an elderly couple in Fernão Ferro (Seixal) lost their lives during the night, when their home became submerged, Link. The third fatality was recorded on 15 November, in Albufeira, where a mini-tornado caused several damages and partially destroyed an "Eden" resort.

Across the country there have been significant floods and thunderstorms. On the first night alone, more than 50,000 lightning strikes were recorded in Lisbon. There were also blackouts in several areas, mainly in Lisbon, Santarém and Setúbal. According to E-Redes, around 20,000 people were left without electricity.

Recorded mini-tornadoes:

14 November: In Nisa (district of Portalegre), a tornado ripped the roofs off at least ten houses in the village of Falagueira.

15 November: In Albufeira (Algarve), a mini-tornado caused one death and extensive material damage, as well as 20 injuries. The fatal victim was an 85-year-old English woman who was staying at the campsite. Link

According to Civil Protection (ANEPC), five land rescues and six water rescues were also recorded. In some regions, the torrential rain and hail were intense, and wind gusts exceeded 130 km/h.

According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the maximum wind gust on Thursday was recorded in Penhas Douradas: 127.1 km/h. The second highest (124.2 km/h) occurred at Cabo da Roca, in Sintra.