At least five people have been killed by a meteorological “beast” in Europe’s tourist hotspots.
Storm Kristin hit the central and northern part of the country Portugal formerly this morning before pushing east into Spain, forcing authorities there to issue a maximum “red alert” for wind.
Just hours after the storm, a trail of destruction is visible in Portugal from snow, rain and strong winds of 110 mph.
Three of the deaths were directly linked to bad weather, the other two victims reportedly suffered heart attacks.
One person died when a tree fell on their car in Vila Franca de Xira, a suburb of Lisbon.
Four people were also killed in the storm, which descended on the central city of Leiria.
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One of them was a man who died in a roof collapse, another died in a photovoltaic park.
Mayor Goncalo Lopes said: “We mourn four deaths, two of which were caused directly by the phenomenon we experienced.
“Its extent is still difficult to calculate, but it will certainly be one of the darkest days in the municipality of Leiria, putting our city and municipality on high alert.”
Footage from the affected areas shows rows of uprooted trees, shop fronts and homes damaged and roads flooded.
The gales were so strong that the Ferris wheel overturned on Figueira da Foz beach in the Silver Coast region of central Portugal.
Part of the roof of the former university also collapsed and broke into seven cars.
Around 85,000 people were left without power after efforts by authorities to restore supplies failed.
Major rail links were suspended and inland communities remained isolated and many others schools they had to interrupt classes.
Kristin made it to the neighborhood Spainwhich is still reeling from the chaos caused by Storm Joseph.
Several villages surrounding the city of Malaga were effectively cut off by the fallen debris.
The video shows several abandoned cars in the Andalucian village of Monte Lope-Álvarez as the road is flooded.
More than 5,000 homes were also evacuated in the southern Jaén region due to rising river levels.
This comes after a toppled palm tree killed a woman in the coastal town of Torremolinos on Tuesday.
More than 160 roads across the country were affected by snow, including 27 highways on the main highway network, while others were disrupted by fallen trees and rocks.
Inches of snow also covered roofs in parts of central Madrid, but there was no major disruption.
Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida announced that despite the snowfall that particularly affected the north of the city, no significant incidents were recorded.
Spain’s national meteorological agency AEMET has warned that large areas will face very strong winds, with some gusts reaching hurricane force.
Authorities in parts of the southern province of Almeria have issued a red alert for the intensity of the wind, as well as numerous amber weather warnings.
Meteorologist Mario Earlier in the week, Picazo called for “extreme caution” and shared an update on Kristin today: “Rain and snow will be the main protagonists today in almost all regions, with significant accumulations especially in southern and western areas.
“Additional to what we have already accumulated today, more are expected to be added throughout the rest of the week.”
The storm is forecast to continue through at least Friday, but sooner rather than later models indicate that precipitation in February would be well above average.
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