Monday’s serious weather alert along Portugal’s “wild west coast” left one woman dead, two injured and a swathe of damage north of the Tejo estuary.
The death happened at Praia da Azarujinha, São João do Estoril, Cascais, as waves pounding the shore whipped up to a promenade where two women, aged 80 and 55, were walking. Both were swept into the sea. Onlookers raced to the rescue, and the younger woman was dragged from the water with serious injuries. The older woman was not so lucky. Her body was brought to shore by surfers.
Meantime, another elderly woman in Esmoriz was swept into the sea, but she was rescued by firemen and taken to hospital.
Elsewhere, there was damage to walls and properties along the Costa da Caparica, Praia das Maçãs, Sintra, and north in Ovar and Figueira da Foz.
“The sea swallowed the dunes and burst into back yards,” a householder at Praia da Leirosa, Figueira da Foz, told news services.
In a campsite in Ovar, seven families had to be evacuated from caravans closest to the sea, and towards the end of the evening a 12.27 metre wave was registered outside Leixões.
By Tuesday morning, the previous day’s red alert was scaled down, although high winds continued throughout the day.
