With more details emerging today of those injured when yesterday’s ‘extreme wind phenomenon’ ripped through the Hotel Eden Resort and nearby HolaCamp campsite, IPMA meteorologists have confirmed that the incident was “clearly a tornado.
Analysis of images of the campsite when disaster hit flag “a whirlwind in the sky”, IPMA’s Paula Leitão told SIC Notícias.
“The clouds descended to the surface in a whirlwind, with huge objects being thrown around (…) The way the objects were then torn from the ground, and the objects that were in the air were thrown against the walls, some of them getting stuck, are typical situations of a tornado,’ she added.
Paula Leitão also pointed to ‘a convective cell spinning’ on the weather radar, a phenomenon that ‘sometimes produces tornadoes’.
“A tornado does not exist if there is no convective cell spinning at the same time,” she explained.
At the time of the interview, Paula Leitão did not have enough information about other situations that took place in Lagoa and Silves around the same time yesterday morning, but said “it is likely” that they were also tornadoes.
As for these phenomena being rare, Paula Leitão said there are records dating back to the 19th century of similar situations – and when they occur, there is never just one tornado, but several.
Some (of the tornados of the past) were every bit as serious as the one that hit the central Algarve yesterday, she said.
Meantime, the HolaCamp campsite has set up a dedicated information line for ‘affected family members and guests’.
According to information sent to newsrooms, the telephone number provided is +00351 289587630 and the email address is geral@campingalbufeira.net.
HolaCamp also confirms that it suffered damage in several areas of its site.
“We are working in close coordination with Civil Protection, the emergency services and local authorities, following all their instructions and protocols. The affected area remains isolated and closed, and the rest of the premises have been evacuated or secured in accordance with the authorities’ instructions,” the statement reads.
Yesterday’s tragic death is being described as the third caused by the effects of storm Claudia – the first two being the couple who died when their home flooded in Fernão Ferro, on Thursday.
For the time being, victim identities have not been revealed. There is minimal information on either the fatal victim (an 85-year-old British woman, whose body was found buried in the debris some time after the tornado had passed), or the seriously injured. Those who received minor injuries have been described as six children, aged between two months and seven years old, and adults ranging in age from 24 to 70. Their nationalities are said to be Portuguese, Spanish, French and British.
As for the tally of ‘incidents’ called into authorities yesterday, this exceeded 3,700 nationally, most of them involving flooding and/ or the falling of trees. Several people were ‘rendered homeless’ (including two in Silves, who have been temporarily rehoused by the municipality).
The worst affected areas in yesterday’s storms were the Setúbal peninsula (642 incidents called in), the Algarve (479) and Greater Lisbon (397).
Yellow weather warnings are still in place for some regions today, and there is rain forecast at different points (depending on areas), but ‘the worst’ is thought to have passed – and by Tuesday, the effects of this depression should have passed.
A note regarding the Youtube video on yesterday’s tornado. The sub-titles are a little misleading: “I am so praised” is in fact a Portuguese man saying “just look at this!” But the images are nonetheless shocking. This tornado created so much destruction in a matter of just a few seconds.
Sources: SIC/ Lusa/ Noticiasaominuto
