A first smaller twister tore into Faro last week on Wednesday, 28 February, flipping boats in the local marina and causing damage to a waterside esplanade.
That same day, the unusually ferocious weather caused more damage along the Algarve coast, demolishing a beach bar in Praia da Rocha and flooding the village of Carvoeiro with seawater and sand.
Immediately after the phenomenon, authorities issued a warning stating that due to the continuing weather conditions, similar events could occur.
Days later, on Sunday, a second, much stronger tornado, which the Portuguese Met Office (IPMA) later categorised as F1-strength, formed again over Faro, inflicting extensive damage across the eastern Algarve.
An entire gypsy community of more than 100 people was left homeless when the gale-force winds obliterated their camp near the entrance of Faro, and another two local Faro families were also left homeless when their properties were damaged.
Farms were torn up, lamp posts ripped out, trees felled and cars damaged in what was a testing week for southern Portugal, weather-wise – and more is forecast to come.
Faro firefighters registered 50 ‘significant’ incidents caused by last Sunday’s weather.
The Fórum Algarve shopping centre in Faro saw tables and chairs blown around, causing damage to windows and shop-fronts, although it was neighbouring Olhão that bore the brunt of the ferocious weather.
After making landfall on Praia de Faro, the tornado circumnavigated the city’s outskirts before colliding with the Olhão parishes of Pechão and Moncarapacho.
A wall at the António João Eusébio stadium in Moncarapacho was smashed by the winds while a game was being staged there, causing damage to nearby vehicles and suspending the match between the local side and visiting team Moura, though no one was hurt in the incident.
Slightly further north, a woman died after the car she was travelling in was washed away by a stream whose levels had swollen due to heavy rainfall.
The incident happened on Sunday afternoon in Castro Verde in southern Alentejo.
Rescue workers said the woman, aged in her sixties, was found late on Sunday afternoon. Her husband, who was driving the vehicle, managed to free himself from the car, and was treated for hypothermia.
Another vehicle was also washed away when crossing the raging stream, but its four occupants managed to escape.
Meanwhile the IPMA has appealed for anyone with photos of one particularly unusual consequence of this past week’s unseasonably tumultuous weather – frozen rain – to send them in.
On its website, the IPMA explains “on 27 February, 2018, the continent was affected by an infrequent phenomenon on national territory - the occurrence of frozen rain.
“This phenomenon consists of the freezing [of rain] on structures that are at negative temperatures (roofs, trees, etc ...).”
All users of the IPMA weather site are invited to share their photos of frozen rain, via www.ipma.pt.