The Algarve capital of Faro was rocked by an extreme wind event late Friday morning that tore down trees and sent mobile structures crashing to the ground.
The good news is that no one was hurt, the Algarve Civil Protection told Lusa news agency.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA) confirmed the town was hit by “very intense, localised gusts” capable of “destructive impact.” Meteorologist Ângela Lourenço said a weather line swept across the entire south with “organised convection”, triggering the violent burst of wind before moving into Spain around 12.30pm.
Specialists from IPMA are still analysing the data to determine whether the event can be classified as a tornado.
The Algarve had already been under an orange warning, which expired at noon, with forecasters warning that conditions were ripe for severe wind events.
According to the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command, the sudden gusts hit around 11.30am, slamming Faro hardest – the same area most devastated by Thursday’s onslaught from Storm Cláudia.
“Most of the incidents were in the town of Faro,” a Civil Protection source said. “Beyond that, we only recorded one more fallen tree in the entire region.” They noted the chaos was caused by wind, not rain.
On Thursday, Storm Cláudia had already flooded parts of Faro’s town centre and brought down trees across the Algarve.
Emergency crews are now clearing roads and removing debris, but officials warn the public to stay cautious, as the storm system could trigger more heavy rain and strong winds through the coming hours.
The Algarve has been downgraded to yellow alert, although the warning will be upped again on Saturday from 9am to 3pm, as well as in the districts of Beja and Setúbal.
Mayor urges patience and calm
On social media, Faro mayor António Pina urged residents to stay calm, saying teams were working nonstop to deal with the wave of incidents across the municipality.
“We are on the ground. We’re trying to reach every occurrence as quickly as possible. The municipality has faced, in the last few days, an extraordinarily unfortunate situation in terms of weather conditions: heavy rain and extreme winds that have caused several incidents across the entire area,” he wrote on Facebook.
“But I want to reassure you: the teams from Civil Protection, the parish councils, FAGAR, the Faro Sapadores firefighters and the Faro Cruz-Lusa firefighters, as well as the PSP and GNR, are on the ground, fully coordinated, restoring normality and ensuring everyone’s safety.
“I ask for calm and caution. Over the next 24 hours, avoid unnecessary travel, keep your distance from trees and areas where water accumulates, and always follow the authorities’ instructions.
“I repeat: we are on the ground – and we will stay as long as necessary to protect everyone who lives here.”
