Drivers who were crossing the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon this afternoon were surprised in the early afternoon by a waterspout over the Tagus River.
This relatively rare meteorological phenomenon in Portugal is equated to a tornado, but occurs exclusively over large areas of water.
It is “a whirlwind of wind, often violent” that lifts droplets of water from the surface of the sea or rivers. The result is a “nebulous column or inverted funnel-shaped nebulous cone”, explains the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
This waterspout especially surprised those traveling on the Vasco da Gama Bridge.
“In popular language, the term waterspout is often used incorrectly, in particular, to define an episode of heavy precipitation. In reality, heavy precipitation may occur associated with a waterspout, but these are two distinct phenomena”, explains IPMA.
Lisbon is under yellow warning this afternoon due to strong winds, which are causing delays and the diversion of some flights.
The Nelson depression, which extends from Iceland to the Madeira region, brought rain, wind and snow to Portugal and will last until Easter Sunday.
