Portugal has been suffering from a string of terrible weather events since last fall.
Portugal is typically warm and sunny throughout the year—and when it does rain, it rarely lasts all day. I remember there being a relatively long stretch of rainy days towards the end of 2024, but after getting repeatedly hammered by unusual storms that have all but obliterated the sun, I’ve started to wonder if the effects of global warming are finally here.
One of them was the huge storm Kristin that passed through a few days ago, tearing up the country with terrifying force and winds up to 150 kilometers an hour. The city of Leiria was particularly hard-hit, with some residents still without electricity, water, or communications. Several deaths have been confirmed amidst fallen trees and damage to homes, businesses, athletic facilities, and hospitals. Roads are blocked, transportation is restricted, and schools are closed as the city struggles with widespread damage to its power infrastructure.
One of the most common forms of storm damage was blown roof tiles, which led to the terrible scenario of rain pouring into people’s homes.
This happened to a friend of mine in Leiria as well as to her parents’ and brother’s homes. Even if they wanted to start repairs right away, the roof tiles everyone needs to replace are sold out everywhere.
Along with the usual post-disaster notices on social media calling for volunteers and offering supplies is information on pre-orders being accepted for roof tiles available on this or that date.
The mayor set up distribution centers for tarps so that people could cover the holes in their roofs, but these offer nothing more than a stopgap until the next storm arrives.
The facts are that three people have already died while trying to repair their roofs, and that others have been picking up asbestos roofing material scattered in the streets without protection. Though I guess it’s understandable that they’re not thinking clearly about the risks when their entire focus is on staying dry.
I heard that Portugal’s relatively mild winters are due to a high-pressure system over the Azores, which keeps storms from blowing in from the U.S. side of the Atlantic. But we’re apparently getting pummeled with direct hits now because that high-pressure system has shifted south towards the Canary Islands.
It sounds dramatic, but here’s the official explanation:
One of the key factors influencing Portuguese winters is the Azores High (the North Atlantic Subtropical High). When it pushes northward, low-pressure paths and the jet stream are forced northward as well, creating relatively stable weather on the Iberian Peninsula. When the high pressure is strong but positioned to the south or further away, the jet stream also moves southward, making Portugal more susceptible to rain and storms.
As far as I’m concerned, the most important takeaway here is that Portugal is not destined to be a rainy country from now on just because the Azores High has pushed further south. Thank goodness! That’s one relief, at least.
Still, low-pressure system Leonardo is bearing down on us as we speak. Although the winds won’t be as strong as Kristin’s, it is still predicted to drop 90 millimeters of rain in a day—a major downpour equivalent to about three days of rain. There are also concerns about high waves, flooding, and infrastructure impacts.
Kristin actually took down two utility poles in my village, forcing us to live without power for three days.
We’ve got to prepare before Leonardo hits so that we can manage comfortably even without electricity.
