Tornado Faro

[GrahamM376]

A tornado git the small boat marina late this afternoon. Evidently a lot of damage to surrounding area but haven't been down to see yet. We've been getting 40+ kts winds in the yard today and heavy rain.

http://www.sulinformacao.pt/2018/02...danos-em-carros-e-esplanadas-na-doca-de-faro/

https://www.cmjornal.pt/portugal/de...rre-doca-de-faro?ref=Portugal_BlocoTopoPagina

 

[Yngmar]

I expect there were some brown pants in the Culatra anchorage.

Not much trouble from wind here in Albufeira so far, we're cozy in our canyon. Probably some boom tents will blow away though. Bit of swell earlier and tons of rain, chucking it down just now. Great for verifying the leak repair jobs. The town has apparently some flooding.

More bad weather and rain coming the next couple days.

 

[GrahamM376]

Still blowing hard and wet tonight, won't be launching as planned this week. Evidently the tornado came from Faro beach, skirted the airport (unlike the one which lifted the terminal roof and spun a couple of 737s around a few years ago) then sank and/or flipped up to 15 small boats on the moorings near to shore and then hit the marina. Had we been on our mooring the centre would have missed us but don't know how wide it was. First we heard about it was when wife's family started phoning, they had seen it on TV news.

 

[25931]

Still blowing hard and wet tonight, won't be launching as planned this week. Evidently the tornado came from Faro beach, skirted the airport (unlike the one which lifted the terminal roof and spun a couple of 737s around a few years ago) then sank and/or flipped up to 15 small boats on the moorings near to shore and then hit the marina. Had we been on our mooring the centre would have missed us but don't know how wide it was. First we heard about it was when wife's family started phoning, they had seen it on TV news.

Glad that I wasn't afloat.

 

[Yngmar]

Albufeira this morning not too bad. Bit of wind right now, top gust measured at the masthead was 45 knots. The fishing fleet evacuated the outer harbour on the weekend, they're either hauled out or hiding further inside. The ramp to the reception pontoon has been ripped off by the swell and is currently dangling from a forklift

Bit of footage from this morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJZMzPVxf98

 

[GrahamM376]

About 45kts here in Bruce's as well. Evidently 9m wave off Ria entrance this morning and Lagos (according to TV) is the only entrance open. Still nice and warm so I'm not complaining.

 

[GHA]

About 45kts here in Bruce's as well. Evidently 9m wave off Ria entrance this morning and Lagos (according to TV) is the only entrance open. Still nice and warm so I'm not complaining.

Entrance must have been a bit bouncy on the ebb then

 

[nortada]

Lagos & Porto do Mos

About 45kts here in Bruce's as well. Evidently 9m wave off Ria entrance this morning and Lagos (according to TV) is the only entrance open. Still nice and warm so I'm not complaining.

Lagos open! No way. We had a 2 metres standing wave at the entrance and gusts up to 55knots. Fortunately, as per normal, the swell didn't get as far as the marina so there are no reports of damage.

View attachment 69466View attachment 69467

God forbid but if I had to get into a harbour, rather than Lagos with it's shallow, narrow entrance, I would plumb for Portimao with it's deep channel and wide entrance and then rather than try to get into the marina, find somewhere sheltered, up near the town and ride it out on the hook.

Possible even more impressive are the 2 photos of the beach at Porto do Mos. The first taken on Monday 19th Feb, the other today, Thursday 1st March.

Now you see it - Now you don't.

I understand that this regularly happens and the sand will soon return - with the Easter Holidays but a few weeks hence, sincerely hope so.

I plan to be back in Porto do Mos on Wednesday 14th March and will post a picture of the progress - or lack of it!

View attachment 69468View attachment 69469

 

[GrahamM376]

Re: Lagos & Porto do Mos

Nortada, I can't access photos, get message - Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=69468&d=1519943858#fkW6ajDfCdSiMzyF.99

 

[nortada]

Re: Lagos & Porto do Mos

Nortada, I can't access photos, get message - Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=69468&d=1519943858#fkW6ajDfCdSiMzyF.99

Really, worked OK last night.

Trouble is, in bad weather when everybody crowds on to the Internet (or tries to), WiFi in Lagos all but dies.. Currently on the phone, which isn’t much better.

Once I can get a half decent connection, I will try to sort the pictures out.:encouragement:

 

[RAI]

Saw a peak gust of 55 knots in Ayamonte, but 30 to 40 most of the time.

 

[GrahamM376]

Another smaller tornado hit Faro this afternoon, damage done near Algarve Forum/Pingo Doce. We had some wild gusts around 4pm as CuNims came over, estimated around 50 kts.
Hoping for quiet day on Tuesday to get back on mooring.

 

[GHA]

Another smaller tornado hit Faro this afternoon, damage done near Algarve Forum/Pingo Doce. We had some wild gusts around 4pm as CuNims came over, estimated around 50 kts.
Hoping for quiet day on Tuesday to get back on mooring.

Another viscous squall went over just now

Dip in pressure for a moment this afternoon with that one earlier - went from 1001.3mb to 1002.9 in 3 minutes!

 

[GrahamM376]

Another viscous squall went over just now

Dip in pressure for a moment this afternoon with that one earlier - went from 1001.3mb to 1002.9 in 3 minutes!

The early report about a smaller second event was wrong, damage is now reported from Faro to Olhao and Castro Marim, with 100 people homeless.

 

[GHA]

Bit of a mess!

https://www.driving.co.uk/news/tornado-rips-apart-car-dealers-portugal/

https://www.algarvedailynews.com/news/13757-tornado-in-the-algarve

 

[Heckler]

A tornado git the small boat marina late this afternoon. Evidently a lot of damage to surrounding area but haven't been down to see yet. We've been getting 40+ kts winds in the yard today and heavy rain.

http://www.sulinformacao.pt/2018/02...danos-em-carros-e-esplanadas-na-doca-de-faro/

https://www.cmjornal.pt/portugal/de...rre-doca-de-faro?ref=Portugal_BlocoTopoPagina

Apparently it headed off to Cadiz and has destroyed Puerto Sherry https://www.thelocal.es/20180306/st...d-buildings-but-reveals-long-lost-roman-ruins

 

[25931]

Apparently it headed off to Cadiz and has destroyed Puerto Sherry https://www.thelocal.es/20180306/st...d-buildings-but-reveals-long-lost-roman-ruins

That is interesting - thanks Stu.

 

[GrahamM376]

Apparently it headed off to Cadiz and has destroyed Puerto Sherry

No, the one which hit the small boat marina was local. We had a second one on Sunday which damaged Faro and then headed down to Huelva. Not sure if that's the one which hit Puerto Sherry or not. Recent news reports talk about 5 tornadoes in total so far in Algarve but not all reached shore.

 

[TOKOLOSHI]

How did yachts fare in the Pool anchorage?

 

[GrahamM376]

How did yachts fare in the Pool anchorage?

All seemed OK when we put ours back on the mooring yesterday. Large Swedish flagged boat still looks to be in same place on anchor, near green 21.

P.S. Seems people are having fun elsewhere, just received email from friends (Steel Appeal) anchored off Bequia - late afternoon we were hit by three monster waves, probably over 20 foot high according to professional skippers and other eye witnesses which put our mast spreaders in the water and showed said onlookers the bottom of our keel this also trashed the cabin together with some ingress of water from the huge breaking waves. Filling the cockpit and forcing water through hatches that were shut but on vent.