Bulgaria heads for snap election after parties fail to form government
Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said on Friday that the country will hold a snap election after political parties failed to form a government f...
Storm Claudia, which brought violent weather to Portugal, has resulted in the deaths of three people and left dozens injured, authorities reported on Saturday. Meanwhile, in Britain, rescue teams were organising evacuations due to heavy flooding in Wales and England.
Portugal and parts of neighbouring Spain have experienced several days of extreme weather caused by Storm Claudia, which had also reached Britain and Ireland by Saturday.
Rescue teams discovered the bodies of an elderly couple in their flooded home in Fernao Ferro, just across the River Tagus from Lisbon, on Thursday. It appears they were sleeping when the floodwaters rose overnight, leaving them unable to escape.
On Saturday, a tornado hit Albufeira in southern Portugal, emergency services confirmed. Online footage showed the tornado destroying caravans at a camping site, with regional civil protection commander Vitor Vaz Pinto stating that an 85-year-old British woman was killed.
Twenty-eight people were injured at a nearby hotel, two of whom were hospitalised with serious injuries.
In a statement, Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed his condolences to the victim's family and wished those injured a swift recovery.
Portugal's weather service, IPMA, issued an amber alert—its second-highest level—for the entire Algarve region, as well as the districts of Beja and Setubal. Storm Claudia causes flooding in Wales and England
In the UK, severe flooding affected the town of Monmouth and surrounding areas in southeastern Wales on Saturday.
The South Wales Fire and Rescue Service reported that it was conducting rescues, evacuations, and welfare checks in the area.
"Storm Claudia has caused extensive flooding in parts of Wales overnight, impacting homes, businesses, and transport and energy infrastructure," said a spokesperson for the Welsh government.
Aerial footage revealed widespread flooding in Monmouth, with water inundating the town centre and residential areas after a nearby river burst its banks.
Natural Resources Wales issued 11 flood warnings, four of which were severe, and 17 flood alerts.
In England, the Environment Agency reported 49 active flood warnings and 134 flood alerts.
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