In the wake of Storm Claudia, communities across Western Europe are grappling with the aftermath of one of the most severe weather events in recent memory. From the picturesque town of Monmouth in the United Kingdom to the sun-drenched Algarve coast of Portugal, the storm’s destructive path has left a trail of flooded homes, battered businesses, and sobering questions about the future of climate resilience.
On Saturday, November 15, 2025, the United Kingdom was hit hard as Storm Claudia unleashed heavy winds and relentless rain. In Monmouth, drone footage captured by local media showed businesses surrounded by water, their storefronts nearly submerged in the early hours of the morning. According to BBC, the flooding was so severe that South Wales Fire and Rescue declared a major incident, urging the public to avoid the area entirely. Matt Jones, area manager for the service, emphasized the urgency: “The flooding is significant and routes must be kept clear to allow emergency services to reach the people who need them most.” Authorities warned that the situation posed a “significant risk to life” in parts of Wales, with emergency responders working around the clock to safeguard residents.
But the devastation was not confined to Wales. In Herefordshire, England, Peterchurch Primary School found its hall and early years facilities inundated. The school’s headteacher, Nia Powell, described the aftermath of the flood as both challenging and heartening. “On behalf of Peterchurch Primary School, I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has reached out to offer help and support following the recent flooding,” Powell stated, as quoted by BBC. “The kindness and generosity shown by our school community has been truly heart-warming, and we are deeply grateful for all the assistance we have received.”
The school was forced to announce a closure while teams undertook the arduous task of cleaning and repairing the damaged facilities. Powell and her staff worked “tirelessly to carry out repairs and clean and sanitise the school” to ensure it was “safe for pupils and staff.” Plans were put in place for a partial reopening on Monday, November 24, with early years children expected to return the following day. Powell stressed, “Our priority is to protect both the existing and new school buildings, while ensuring that any future mitigation work does not negatively impact neighbouring properties.”
While the UK struggled with rising waters, Portugal experienced its own share of Claudia’s wrath. According to Euronews, the storm caused 4,017 incidents and claimed three lives by Sunday, November 17. The hardest-hit regions included Setúbal, Porto, and the Algarve. In the coastal town of Albufeira, a tornado struck on Saturday morning, killing an 85-year-old British woman and causing significant damage to a hotel and a campsite. Images of the destruction quickly spread across Europe, highlighting the storm’s cross-border impact.
Experts interviewed by Euronews underscored that extreme weather events like those seen during Storm Claudia are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change. Paulo Pinto, a meteorologist at the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), explained that the tornado in Albufeira originated from a supercell, a type of thunderstorm cloud with organized internal air circulations. The formation of tornadoes, Pinto noted, relies on differences in wind direction and speed at various atmospheric levels, a phenomenon known as wind shear. Despite advancements in meteorological technology, Pinto acknowledged, “there are no tornado warnings,” and predicting such events with precision remains out of reach.
Climatologist Carlos da Camara of the University of Lisbon’s Dom Luiz Institute added crucial context, explaining that the recent extreme weather in Portugal was the result of a “cold depression”—a low-pressure system characterized by winds spinning in a counter-clockwise direction, creating a core of low pressure surrounded by stronger winds. While cold depressions are not unheard of in Portugal, da Camara warned that “more greenhouse gases being released, first and foremost, leads to more energy being stored in the atmosphere.” This, in turn, increases the likelihood of powerful winds and heavy rainfall, making such destructive phenomena more common. He concluded, “It is to be expected that this type of phenomenon will start to happen more frequently.”
Yet, as da Camara and other experts caution, the growing frequency of extreme weather is not matched by sufficient preparedness. Adélia Nunes, president of the Portuguese Association of Geographers, emphasized the importance of structural prevention, stating that tornadoes and similar events are “very localised phenomena and difficult to monitor.” She argued that “prevention is structural and not specifically aimed at this type of phenomenon.” Nunes pointed to a broader issue: a lack of risk culture and public awareness. “I think we have a very short memory of what risks are; in other words, we forget previous manifestations of risk very quickly,” she told Euronews. She called for greater focus on risk prevention and climate literacy, starting from an early age and reinforced through public campaigns.
The storm also exposed the vulnerabilities of urban planning in the face of climate change. Da Camara highlighted that floods in Portugal are often exacerbated by “deficiencies in cleaning,” inadequate sewer systems, and, crucially, poorly planned urban development. Portugal’s Environment Agency has identified 63 areas at significant risk of flooding, potentially affecting over 100,000 residents. Nunes warned that the trend toward building in flood-prone areas, without considering risk maps, increases the likelihood of future disasters. “Urban growth, with construction in floodbeds, creates these situations, and possibly the number of areas that are susceptible to this type of flood risk will tend to grow in the future, in the face of increasingly extreme meteorological events,” she explained.
As the floodwaters recede and communities begin the long process of recovery, the lessons of Storm Claudia resonate across borders. The storm has laid bare the urgent need for stronger infrastructure, better risk mapping, and a more informed public. It has also highlighted the remarkable resilience of local communities—from the emergency responders in Monmouth to the parents, staff, and neighbors rallying around Peterchurch Primary School. Their stories serve as a powerful reminder that, even in the face of nature’s fury, the bonds of community and the drive to rebuild remain unbroken.
Storm Claudia’s legacy is still being written, but its impact has already set the stage for a renewed conversation on how Europe prepares for an era of increasingly unpredictable and severe weather.
