During the past two days, four weather phenomena consistent with tornadoes have been recorded in mainland Portugal, events that, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA), “are not that rare.”
In a statement to RTP3, IPMA meteorologist Bruno Café explained that these phenomena “are not that rare.” “We experience this type of phenomenon every year. Obviously, they do not affect the entire continent; they are very localized occurrences. And of course, we have access to them because today it is very easy, through social networks, to share information,” he stated.
Regarding these events, the meteorologist explained that “we currently have a depression centered to the west of mainland Portugal,” which “has been affecting the entire continent” since yesterday.
“This type of depression carries a lot of instability, along with humidity, vertical wind changes that lead to these rotations, resulting in organized convection that persists over time, giving rise to mesocyclones. These mesocyclones can sometimes, albeit not in every situation, lead to tornadoes,” Bruno Café indicated.
The meteorologist further clarified that, technically, the phenomenon recorded today in Sesimbra was not a waterspout but a “tornado over water.” “It has a mesocyclonic origin, whereas a waterspout has a different origin. It is a distinct situation,” he specified.
“These are not widespread situations, but they can happen occasionally,” he noted.
It should be recalled that the phenomenon in Sesimbra, Setúbal district, was recorded this morning, and during the afternoon, another event occurred in Sardoal, Santarém district.
Yesterday, extreme wind events were also recorded in Beja and Campo Maior, which the IPMA confirmed to have been two tornadoes, with maximum winds between 118 and 148 kilometers per hour.
See the images of the phenomenon recorded this Saturday.
Notícias ao Minuto | 15:31 – 03/05/2025
