Waterspout surprises drivers on Lisbon's Vasco da Gama amid Storm Nelson

A waterspout at the mouth of the Tagus River caught drivers on the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon by surprise on Thursday, linked to the recently arrived Storm Nelson on the Iberian Peninsula.

On Thursday afternoon, travelers on the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal, encountered an unexpected weather oddity, most likely a waterspout, as indicated by local media reports. This was confirmed by Pedro Sousa, a meteorologist with the Portuguese Institute for the Ocean and Atmosphere (IPMA), who also managed to capture the phenomenon on camera. This swirling vortex progressed towards the shore, impacting several structures in Montijo.

Recordings of the event display a mesmerizing funnel of mist and aerosol ascending above the bridge, noteworthy as Europe’s second-longest bridge.

While tornadoes are a rarity in Europe, appearing more frequently in the continent’s northwestern and southern regions, waterspouts act as their aquatic counterparts, forming over water bodies.

Named Nelson, the storm that approached the Iberian Peninsula brought with it not only the waterspout but also heavy rainfall, fierce winds, surging waves, and tragically, in Spain, claimed the lives of four individuals. The inclement weather forced the cancellation of Seville's famed Holy Week processions, an event that annually draws thousands of global visitors, as well as similar but smaller-scale events in Huelva and Cadiz.

The risk remains high with the severe weather expected to persist through Easter.

Source: La Vanguardia, TVN24