Downburst weather phenomenon hits Praia do Carvoeiro

The data comes from the Meteofontes website, whose manager, environmental engineer Bruno Gonçalves, explains that these meteorological phenomena result from the passage of Storm Claudia through the western Algarve, bringing heavy rain, wind, and thunderstorms.

Due to the weather forecast, IPMA (Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere) has placed the Algarve under a red warning, the most severe of all, until 3pm today.

At this moment, the storm cells have moved to the eastern Algarve, where heavy downpours are also occurring, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusts of wind, according to a report by Sul Informação.

According to the Regional Civil Protection Command (CREPC), due to the intense and persistent rain, which caused water accumulation in some areas, there are already urban floods and floods on rural roads, especially in the municipality of Faro. There are also reports of fallen trees.

A downburst is a strong downdraft from a storm that hits the ground and spreads in all directions, creating powerful straight-line winds. These winds, which can exceed 160 km/h, cause damage similar to that of a tornado, but do not rotate.