Deadly Aftermath: Storm 'Claudia' Wreaks Havoc in Portugal and Britain

Storm Claudia has killed three people in Portugal and injured dozens more, while rescue teams in Britain began evacuation operations as floods hit Wales and England. The severe weather system has been battering Portugal and parts of Spain for days before extending to Britain and Ireland.

Rescue teams found the bodies of an elderly couple inside their flooded home in Fernão Ferro, near Lisbon, on Thursday. Emergency services reported that a tornado struck the southern Portuguese city of Albufeira on Saturday.

Vitor Vaz Pinto, regional civil protection commander, confirmed that an 85-year-old British woman died in the tornado. Twenty-eight people were injured at a nearby hotel, with two hospitalized in serious condition.

The storm's impact extends far beyond Portugal. In Britain, the town of Monmouth and surrounding areas in southeast Wales experienced severe flooding on Saturday. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service carried out multiple rescue and evacuation operations as water levels rose rapidly.

A Welsh government spokesperson said Storm Claudia caused "significant flooding in parts of Wales overnight, which continues to affect homes, businesses, transport and energy infrastructure." The flooding disrupted daily life across the region, forcing authorities to coordinate emergency responses.

This weather pattern shows how Atlantic storm systems can cause widespread damage across multiple countries. Portugal and Spain regularly face severe winter storms, but the extension of such intense weather to Britain and Ireland highlights the storm's unusual strength and reach.

The deaths in Portugal add to growing concerns about extreme weather events in Europe. Emergency services across the affected regions remain on high alert as the storm continues to move through the area, bringing heavy rain and strong winds that could cause additional flooding and damage.