Tropical storm Kirk has caused strong winds in Portugal which has led to more than 1000 incidents. Most of these incidents include fallen trees. This storm has left 300000 houses and businesses without any power.

Tropical Storm Kirk Caused Havoc

The bad weather due to the storm Kirk has caused many people to suffer without power. The electrical circuit in most houses is damaged due to the heavy rain and winds. The main affected area due to this Storm is the northern region of the country. Storm’s aftermath of the storm has caused some major pressure on the electricity grid. Most affected areas include Braga, Porto, Viana do Castelo, and Aveiro. It has also impacted on the districts of Viseu and Vila Real. It has been discovered that 800 operatives have been mobilized on the ground to solve this issue. The electricity grid company has stated:

We’re still experiencing a lot of disruption and at this point, we can’t predict when it will be fully restored, something we’ll monitor and report on throughout the day.

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The company has informed us that more than 250,000 customers are right now without any power. This power outrage started in the morning and has affected many people. Kirk Storm has deprived 400,000 people of power at 8:30 am and around 314,000 people at 9:30 am.

E-Redes Company Takes Action

E-Redes company is owned by the EDP group. It is responsible for the low-, medium-, and high-voltage distribution of electricity networks in Portugal. E-Redes has started an operational crisis action plan from Tuesday night. It has also involved the civil protection authority along with several other authorities.

National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) stated that due to strong winds, there were 1329 incidents recorded in the country. These strong winds range from about 140-150km/h in most affected areas. These incidents were recorded between 6 pm on Tuesday to 9 am on Wednesday. Most of these incidents involve fallen trees.

Some of these incidents were considered severe. Some of the roads were blocked, and train services deviated from their times. The worst incident took place in Vila Nova de Gaina where a 3-story residential building was damaged by a falling crane. This caused a four-member family to temporarily evacuate the premises and residence somewhere else for the time being. The good news is that no one has been reported as injured.

The river Vez which is located in Arcos de Valdevez, has burst its banks. The water has flooded the Valeta, a nearby car park, and a hotel. The local chief, Olegário Gonçalves has stated about the flooding situation in the region:

There are three bridges closed, two municipal pavilions flooded. [This is] one of the worst floods (Portugal has suffered) in recent years.

Weather Conditions May Get More Worse

Meteorologists have stated that the conditions of the weather will be much worse in the coming days. The Kirk storm has not passed away completely yet. This is why the coastal alerts have been shifted from yellow alerts to orange. The Government of Portugal has also warned people to avoid going to the sea. The main area of danger is Northern Portugal where the strong winds still preside.

Storm Kirk is now moving its direction towards France. It has already caused some serious damage to Spain. This storm was generated due to a big hurricane that was circulating between the Bermuda region in the Caribbean to the Azores last week. This hurricane was also recorded as a category 4 status on the Saffir Simpson Scale for some time which died down to a category of ‘tropical storm’. One of the well-known meteorologists, Lars Lowinski has stated:

Very strong winds are likely to affect a large corridor from the Bay of Biscay coast to eastern France, northwest Switzerland, and then southwest Germany later on Thursday.

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