Rare weather phenomenon grips Portugal beach during heatwave
Beachgoers on Sunday (29 June) were shocked when they saw a 'roll cloud' coming out of the ocean and heading towards the shore.
The dense tsunami-like cloud occurs when hot and cold air masses collide, forming a thick cloud that condenses into a curved-shape.
Climate expert Mário Marques said it is not the first time Portugal has experienced a roll cloud, but is more common to witness the phenomenon in somewhere like Australia, where cold air from Tasmania collides with hot air on the mainland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
Californians brace for worst multiday heatwave of the year
Californians are bracing for the first major heatwave of the year, a multiday scorcher that could pose significant threats to public health and sharply heighten wildfire risks. After a notably cooler summer, temperatures are expected to spike across the American south-west starting on Wednesday and extending through the weekend, as severe conditions expand north along the coast into British Columbia by the end of the week. The extreme weather event will create a trio of compounding dangers, with a heightened chance of thunderstorms also predicted alongside the heat and fire risks. The National Weather Service has issued a swath of heat advisories, watches and warnings, along with red-flag alerts, warning the public to prepare. 'This dangerous level of heat will pose a threat to anyone without effective cooling and adequate hydration,' NWS forecasters said in an outlook issued Wednesday, outlining temperature highs that could climb past 110F (43C) in the desert south-west and into the 100F's across southern California. Temperatures could break local daily records in Los Angeles and across Arizona. The heat will also linger after the sun sets, offering little reprieve overnight. 'Widespread record warm overnight minimum temperatures' are possible through the west, according to climate scientist Daniel Swain, who shared an analysis of the upcoming event on his website. High nighttime temperatures will add challenges to containing fires that erupt and increase the dangers for people unable to access cooling. 'This heatwave may be most notable for sustained overnight warmth in some cases,' Swain said, 'with minimum temperatures not dropping below 70-80F.' August is typically hot across this region. But for Californians who haven't acclimated to high temperatures this year, the sharp shift could create health challenges. Those facing the greatest hazards will be outdoor workers, unhoused people and vulnerable populations, including children and seniors. Extreme heat, often called a 'silent killer', already ranks as the most lethal weather-related disaster in the US, and deaths are increasing. Fueled by the climate crisis, and often exacerbated by concrete cityscapes that cook when temperatures rise, heatwaves are getting longer, larger and more intense. Many areas that will be affected by this week's heat event were also already primed to burn, including across areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. An extreme lack of moisture across southern California this year has left hillsides parched, overgrown and prone to ignite. But the heat could further cure vegetation, setting the stage for rapid fire growth and extreme behavior, according to the NWS. 'California wildfire risk will likely reach its peak during this event between Thursday and Saturday,' Swain said. While these fires aren't expected to be amplified by strong gusty winds, developing thunderstorms could add erratic breezy conditions and lightning could ignite new blazes. To prepare for the added threats, California's governor Gavin Newsom has pre-deployed resources into high-risk areas, including 32 fire engines, nine water tenders, nine bulldozers, five helicopters, nine hand crews, 13 dispatchers and two incident management teams. It has already been a busy year of fire across the country, and more than 44,400 blazes have ignited, roughly 16% higher than the 10-year average. But there are still months to go before the highest risks typically subside, especially in California where strong Santa Ana winds blow through the autumn months.
The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Stark warning issued following wildfires across Spain
Spain is experiencing one of its most destructive fire seasons in decades, with wildfire carbon emissions in the first two weeks of August reaching the highest levels in at least 23 years. The blazes have tragically claimed four lives, necessitated the evacuation of thousands, and incinerated over 382,000 hectares, an area larger than Mallorca. A severe 16-day heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 44 degrees Celsius, significantly exacerbated the fires, particularly in Spain's north-western regions. Air quality across the Iberian Peninsula has sharply deteriorated, with thick smoke plumes extending hundreds of kilometres, reaching as far as France, the UK, and Scandinavia. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez linked the disaster to the climate emergency, pledging reconstruction aid and proposing to enshrine climate policies into permanent state law, while neighbouring Portugal also faces one of its worst wildfire years.
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Wildfire tragedy as man is run over and killed by his own bulldozer after leaping out to escape flames in Portugal
A 65-year-old man was run over and killed by his own bulldozer he was operating while fighting wildfires in Portugal. He was working for a company in Mirandela, in the north of the country, when he fell from his machine and was run over as he tried to escape fast-moving flames, local officials said. The country has been battling blazes since late July, with the north and centre hardest hit. More than 216,000 hectares have already gone up in smoke this summer, wiping out 2.3 per cent of Portugal's land. Two firefighters have died and more than 130 people have been injured, many of them emergency workers, according to Portuguese media. The firefighters were killed on Sunday when their truck plunged into a ravine while they were rushing to tackle a blaze. In the north of the country, a deadly fire tornado claimed the life of a former mayor as he tried to defend his town. Last week, the mayor of Vila Real said: 'We are under enormous attack, with absolutely incalculable losses, the resources are clearly insufficient given the scale of what we are experiencing.' Meanwhile, in Spain, four people have died in wildfires as huge swathes of land have been left charred. This week, it was reported that the 16 days of extreme heat that have fuelled the flames may have been behind more than 1,100 excess deaths. In some areas, high temperatures above 45C were recorded. More than 382,000 hectares of countryside have burned as authorities say this is now one of the worst wildfire seasons on record. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged residents to 'exercise extreme caution', warning that 'critical moments remain, difficult hours remain' as he visited some of the worst hit areas. While Spanish officials have pinned many of the wildfires on lightning that occurs during dry storms, they have also said that some have been started by arsonists. Authorities say arson is suspected in a number of incidents, with 27 people arrested and dozens more under investigation. Last week, the regional leader of Castile and León also said he suspects arson in the infernos that led to the evacuation of more than 1,400 residents. So far, 188 investigations into the crime have resulted in the arrest of 32 people. Across Europe, thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as they scramble to move out of the way of the raging flames. The heatwave has also triggered deadly blazes in Greece, France, and Turkey, where at least 17 people have been killed. Turkey has declared multiple disaster zones as wildfires swept through its Mediterranean coast. In İzmir province, more than 50,000 people were displaced as the flames raged on under suffocating heat. In Cyprus, two elderly people were killed as they tried to escape the wildfires in their car. Officials in Albania have said an 80-year-old man died in a fire in Tirana. In total, more than half a million hectares have burned across the European Union this summer, around two and a half times the usual average.
