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IPMA Confirms Rare Roll Cloud Over Portugal’s Coast During Heatwave

IPMA’s satellite imagery validates the tube-shaped arcus cloud with Portugal enduring maximum wildfire alerts under relentless heat

Portugal video goes coral. Image Source: ‘volcaholic1’/ X
Breathtaking! Rare Roll Cloud Formation Appears Over Portugal Beach, Leaves Crowd Awestruck | Image: X\Volcaholic\Antonio Pereira

Overview

  • IPMA confirmed via satellite that the roll cloud formed between Peniche and Póvoa do Varzim around 5–6 p.m. local time on July 1
  • Meteorologists say the phenomenon arises when cooler marine downdrafts undercut warm, moist air to create a horizontal, tube-shaped arcus cloud
  • The viral video shared by X user ‘Volcaholic’ has topped 20,000 views as beachgoers captured sudden gusts accompanying the cloud’s advance
  • Mainland Portugal has seen record highs above 40 °C, prompting the National Civil Protection Authority to issue maximum wildfire-risk warnings
  • Observers reported the cloud stretching roughly 150 km along the coast from Figueira da Foz to Vila do Conde, underscoring its unusual scale