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Europe Faces Tropical Storm Threat This Weekend
22 Aug
Summary
- A low-pressure system west of Portugal may become a tropical storm.
- The system could bring heavy rain and strong winds to Portugal.
- Hurricane Leslie impacted Portugal as a post-tropical cyclone in 2018.
An area of low pressure located west of Portugal shows potential to develop into a tropical storm over the upcoming weekend. Meteorologists are closely watching this system, which could acquire subtropical or tropical characteristics as it moves towards Portugal and northwestern Spain.
This development is considered unusual due to its far northeastern Atlantic location near Europe. While rare, the region has experienced tropical or post-tropical cyclone impacts historically. Hurricane Leslie in 2018 notably struck mainland Portugal as a strong post-tropical cyclone, causing damage and resulting in one death in Portugal and further fatalities in France.
Since the 1950s, dozens of tropical storms and hurricanes have passed near Portugal and the Azores. However, no storm stronger than a Category 2 hurricane has ever been recorded in the vicinity, and no hurricane has made landfall on mainland Portugal. Additionally, other systems are being monitored in the central Atlantic near Bermuda and off the African coast.
