Rare 'roll clouds' spotted over Portuguese beaches as heatwave sweeps Europe
Holidaymakers have been stunned by extremely rare 'roll clouds' on Portuguese beaches as the current heatwave sweeps the continent. A terrifying 'water bomb' also tragically killed a man who was swept away in Italy.
Temperatures have reached worrying heights across Europe, including record-breaking 46C weather in Spain. The extreme weather also led Portugal beach-goers to see freak roll clouds in the sky.
The weather phenomenon hit beaches in northern and central Portugal. 'Roll clouds' are rare and unique-looking clouds that are most commonly seen along with thunderstorms.
The wide, horizontal cloud shelf is formed when a downdraft, usually from an oncoming storm, causes moist, warm air to rise then cool before its dew point and form a cloud.
According to the Met Office: "When a cold downdraft from a cumulonimbus cloud reaches the ground, the cold air may spread rapidly along the ground, pushing existing warm moist air upwards.
"As this air rises, water vapour condenses into the patterns associated with Arcus clouds. The new cloud may roll if it experiences different wind directions above and below."
The current heatwave contributed to the warming of both the sea and air, creating this rare weather phenomenon in Portugal.
Tourists told of a tsunami-like effect of clouds rising up and darkening the sky, that appeared as black sheet that covered the horizon.
Mario Marquez, Plano Clima climatologist, said: 'This formation occurred due to the sea breeze during sunset at the beginning of the evening. Due to high temperatures on the surface it did not manage to progress inland and it stayed self-contained forming a constant roll.'
It came as Portuguese authorities issued a red heat warning for seven of 18 districts with temperatures forecast to hit 43C. Heat warnings have been issued for parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and the UK in this latest hot spell, reported the Mirror.
'Extreme heat is no longer a rare event — it has become the new normal,' UN Secretary-General António Guterres tweeted from Seville, Spain, where temperatures hit 46C.
He called for action to fight climate change, saying 'the planet is getting hotter & more dangerous.'
Dr Hans Kluge, head of the World Health Organization's Europe office, warned in a statement that the scorching heat 'silently threatens the people who need protection most: older adults, children, outdoor workers and anyone living with chronic health conditions.'
Meanwhile, in Italy, the Health Ministry put 21 cities under its 'red' alert, which indicates 'emergency conditions with possible negative effects' on healthy, active people as well as others.
Regional governments in northwestern Liguria and southern Sicily put restrictions on outdoor work. There were torrential rains in the north, and parts of Bardonecchia near Turin were covered in sludge after the Frejus river burst its banks. RAI state television said one person was killed.
Greengrocer Franco Chiaffrini, 70, was swept away by water and mud in Bardonecchia with regional president Alberto Cirio saying a 'water bomb' suddenly hit the town.
Onlookers said that he was dragged by the current and his body was found several hours later by firefighters.
'We are increasingly faced with emergency situations due to weather events that we used to call exceptional but are now more and more frequent,' Mr Cirio wrote on social media.
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