The President of the Republic expressed his condolences on Saturday over the death of an 85-year-old woman and the other injuries sustained at a campsite in Albufeira, Faro, after the area was struck by an extreme wind phenomenon regarded by some experts as a tornado.
Upon leaving the mosque in Lisbon, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa extended a “word of solidarity” for the fatal victims of the storm Claudia, reminding that, at present, three such victims have been confirmed.
“We know how intense the effect of this storm was in the Algarve, just as it was in Greater Lisbon, but whenever there is a death – and there have already been two – we cannot fail to lament and share in the suffering,” stated the Portuguese head of state.
He added, “Especially because those who die in such circumstances are usually the most defenseless, the elderly, the poor. They have less means to protect and prepare themselves, and hence my word of solidarity.”
When asked if he believes Portugal is prepared to face more storms like this one, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa refrained from commenting on the matter, stating that it falls under the responsibility of Civil Protection and the Government. However, he remarked that “this storm in some ways ended up exceeding” the expectations of specialists.
“Where it hit, it did so more profoundly than expected and for longer than imagined,” he explained.
Given the situation, the President of the Republic noted that “the Portuguese were very disciplined, very sensible” over the past two days, particularly in the way they responded to the storm.
An official note had already been published on the Presidency’s website, where Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed “his solidarity with the family members of the fatal victim, as a result of the storm Claudia’s passage this morning in Albufeira.”
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, today lamented the fatality in Albufeira resulting from the passage of the storm Claudia, expressing solidarity with the family and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
Lusa | 13:13 – 15/11/2025
One fatality and two seriously injured in Albufeira
It should be noted that the extreme wind phenomenon that hit the city of Albufeira this morning resulted in one fatality – an 85-year-old British woman, two seriously injured people, and more than 20 minor injuries.
In a statement to Lusa, a source from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) mentioned that radar images indicate a high probability of a tornado given the damage, although the situation is yet to be assessed.
The situation occurred around 11:00 am and, according to meteorologist Paula Leitão, until 3:00 pm, the atmospheric conditions in the Algarve will remain conducive “to more phenomena of this kind, although it doesn’t mean they will reach land.”
The responsible further noted that there is still “a lot of activity over the sea,” with occurrences happening occasionally and unexpectedly, making it impossible to predict when and where they might occur.
Paula Leitão, a meteorologist from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), considered the phenomenon that struck the Albufeira Campsite, causing one fatality on Saturday morning, ” was clearly a tornado.”
Daniela Filipe | 15:11 – 15/11/2025
