ALBUFEIRA, Portugal – A campsite in Albufeira, Portugal was destroyed when a tornado ripped through the area, killing an 85-year-old British woman and injuring several others, local news outlets reported.
In the aftermath of what officials described as a “mesocyclone tornado“, destroyed structures and debris was scattered in an area took a direct impact from the extreme winds.
The deadly twister was captured on camera by a local resident, who by chance was on a nearby rooftop as the tornado touched down. Local news outlets reported that dozens were injured by the tornado.
The scenes on the ground after a deadly tornado ripped through Albufeira, Portugal, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Shortly before the sudden tornado touched down, Portugal’s meteorological agency had issued an orange alert in the area due to heavy rain and thunderstorms.
HOW FREQUENT ARE EUROPEAN TORNADOES?
The Portuguese tornado comes several weeks after a deadly tornado ripped through Ermont, France.
While tornadoes occur significantly less frequently in Europe than in the U.S., they are not uncommon.
A 2017 study published in the American Meteorological Society journal found that 83 tornadoes were reported on average across Europe annually between 1950 and 2015, roughly 11 times lower than the average annual tally in the U.S. during that span.
The study found that France had the fifth-most tornadoes in Europe during that timeframe. It also noted that few European meteorological offices maintain a tornado database.
