Storm Claudia has carved a path of destruction across Portugal and the UK, leaving three people dead, forcing evacuations and flooding homes, and causing

widespread travel disruption.

UK: towns submerged, residents evacuated

England and Wales bore the brunt of Saturday’s severe flooding, with the Welsh border town of Monmouth among the worst hit. Residents were rescued from their homes overnight as the River Monnow rose to record levels and burst its banks, leaving much of the town underwater by Sunday morning.

Aerial images showed cars half-submerged and businesses along the high street filled with muddy floodwater. Nearly 12 centimetres of rain fell across southeast Wales overnight, while strong winds toppled trees and damaged buildings across both nations. Several rail lines were suspended due to flooding and debris.

“I personally haven’t seen it so bad for probably 40 years,” said Peter Fox, a Conservative member of the Welsh Parliament, noting that the town’s flood defences had been overwhelmed.

Forty-two flood warnings remained in place in England on Sunday. The Met Office has warned that as Storm Claudia clears, temperatures could plunge to –7°C next week, with snow possible in some regions.

Portugal: tornado and flooding claim three lives

In Portugal, the storm’s impact proved deadly. An 85-year-old British woman died when a tree fell on a campsite in Albufeira, Algarve, after a tornado—confirmed by meteorologist Paula Leitão of CNN Portugal—ripped through the area on Saturday. The violent winds left a trail of destruction at the campsite, causing one serious injury and around 20 minor injuries.

The south of the country was hit after the north sustained significant flooding earlier in the day. Santa Maria da Feira and Vila do Conde saw extensive damage, with at least one family left homeless.

The fatalities in Albufeira followed the deaths of a couple on Thursday, who were caught in floodwaters in Fernão Ferro, Seixal, near Lisbon.

Civil protection authorities placed the district of Braga under an orange alert on Saturday, with similar warnings issued for Faro, Setúbal and Beja. Yellow weather warnings were in effect for Viana do Castelo, Porto, Viseu, Aveiro, Coimbra, Portalegre, Santarém and Lisbon, due to forecasts of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Madeira’s south coast and mountain regions were also under alert. Photo by Walterpeitz, Wikimedia commons.