A strong meteorological instability episode hit the Aveiro region on September 5th, causing large hail falls and intense wind gusts. The parish of Branca in Albergaria-a-Velha was the most affected, registering significant damage to roofs, urban furniture, vehicles, and fallen trees.
The atmospheric configuration that favored these conditions included a high pressure system southeast of the Azores and a depression trough between Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula, resulting in an unstable air mass with high humidity that promoted thunderstorms and heavy showers during the afternoon.
IPMA explained that the most intense storm occurred in the central zone of the country, accompanied by hail with a diameter exceeding 2 centimeters and severe wind gusts. At 7:30 PM, a yellow warning was in effect for the risk of thunderstorms and intense precipitation until 10:00 PM. Meteorologists also identified the occurrence of a "downburst," a phenomenon characterized by air currents that descend rapidly from storm clouds and spread out upon reaching the ground, causing destructive gusts.
IPMA recently updated the criteria for issuing warnings related to thunderstorms, expanding the scope to include not only the frequency of lightning discharges but also the various associated severe weather phenomena, emphasizing the importance of monitoring and being prepared for extreme weather events throughout the country.
