Hurricane-Force Storm Kills Five in Portugal
The Leiria district bore the brunt of the devastation, with four fatalities reported by Mayor Goncalo Lopes Wednesday afternoon, including at least one victim killed by the collapse of a structure. A fifth death occurred in Vila Franca de Xira when a falling tree struck a vehicle.
Portugal's National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection documented the storm's toll by early afternoon, logging more than 3,300 incidents—predominantly fallen trees and debris choking roadways. Multiple critical transportation arteries remained shuttered or severely compromised.
The electrical grid sustained massive damage. Power operator E-Redes reported approximately 570,000 customers remained in darkness around midday, down from an overnight peak that plunged roughly 1 million people into blackouts. Central districts experienced the most severe outages.
Coimbra's municipal aerodrome was obliterated by the ferocious gusts, with visual evidence showing aircraft inside hangars damaged so extensively that some are deemed irreparable. A football stadium in Leiria also suffered major structural damage.
Pombal authorities issued urgent warnings that power failures threatened municipal water systems, calling on residents to conserve supplies until full restoration.
Wind speeds reached hurricane intensity Wednesday morning. A source from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) told media that Monte Real Air Base in Leiria recorded a gust of 176 kilometers (109 miles) per hour. Three additional gusts exceeding 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour were also documented in Leiria.
According to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, hurricanes have sustained winds starting at 119 kilometers per hour.
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