At least five people have died after Storm Kristin ravaged central and northern Portugal, causing floods, landslides and widespread damage.
The storm, which the government described as an “extreme weather event”, led to school closures, damaged buildings and severe travel disruptions.
In the coastal town of Figueira da Foz, a Ferris wheel overturned and several vehicles were struck when part of a building’s roof was torn off.
Portugal has been hit by a succession of storms in recent days, including one this weekend in which a man died after his car was swept away by floods.
Heavy rain and wind gusts reaching 150 km/h caused more than 3,000 weather incidents across the country, civil protection authorities said. Several people were struck by falling trees or debris.
The strongest winds were recorded at Monte Real air base in Leiria, where gusts of 178 km were recorded before monitoring equipment was destroyed. Officials said the location was likely the storm’s entry point to mainland Portugal.
More than 850,000 people were left without electricity on Wednesday, according to electricity distributor E-Redes.
The civil protection agency (ANEPC) reported that three people died in the central district of Leiria, one of the worst affected areas.
In Leira, one person was hit by a sheet of metal and another was stuck in the structure of a house, according to authorities. Local media said a man in Vila Franca de Xira died when a tree hit his car, local media reported.
One death was also reported in the Marinha Grande region.
Transport across Portugal has been severely disrupted, with roads – including the main highway linking Lisbon to the north – and railways blocked by debris.
Ten coastal areas were placed under red weather warning on Wednesday due to dangerous sea conditions, with waves reaching 14 meters (45 feet, 11 inches), according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
The PSP (Public Security Police) urged residents of Coimbra and Leira to stay indoors, while Portugal’s Secretary of State for Civil Protection said the country remained on high alert.
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He said authorities were assessing the damage and would take “all necessary measures.”
Meanwhile, Leiria Mayor Goncalo Lopes urged the government to declare a state of emergency.
“We have public spaces turned upside down,” he told reporters. “This is something that will require a very large reconstruction effort in the coming months. The impact is similar to what a bomb could cause in our city, with massive destruction.”
After crossing Portugal, Storm Kristin moved towards eastern Spain, bringing with it snow, rain and strong winds.
The storm caused widespread disruption across the country, with schools, roads and train lines closed and hundreds of thousands of people without power.
In Andalusia, emergency services reported some 2,000 weather-related incidents.
Spain’s national weather agency, AEMET, warned of very strong winds in some areas, with gusts likely to reach hurricane force. A red weather alert has been issued for parts of Almeria, in the southeast, due to the strong winds.