Share and Follow
THIS is the horrific moment a massive hot storm hits Spain sparking tornadoes and forcing dozens to flee.
Tourists and locals were forced to evacuate beaches as the raging winds sent parasols and other objects flying into the air in a freak 40C heat burst known as “Satan’s Storm”.
At least five people were rescued from the water in Spain’s Costa Tropical as cops and coastguards urgently scoured the area for a missing person.
The tornado was caused by a rare heat burst – with some areas reaching temperatures of up to 40C – commonly known as Satan’s Storm.
It’s a rare atmospheric phenomenon characterised by a sudden, localised increase in air temperature.
Horrifying footage shows holidaymakers fleeing the beach as the winds pummel through the sand, sending debris and dust flying into the air.
Meanwhile, trees dangerously swing from side to side under a dark and cloudy sky punctuated only by the odd ray of sunshine.
Another clip shows garden furniture, pot plants and trees strewn across the ground after being struck by the devastating gusts.
Popular holiday resorts Motril and Almunecar, in the south of Granada, were the worst hit as two tornadoes and waterspouts cascaded through the areas yesterday evening.
A waterspout is a rotating column of air – similar to a tornado – that forms over a body of water.
Spanish weather agency Aemet confirmed on X: “The temperature rose rapidly to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) at 7.50pm, accompanied by very strong gusts of wind that reached 53mph.”
Meanwhile, Motril’s mayor Luisa Garcia Chamorro, urged: “Attention. We are experiencing what is known as a heat burst with very strong, almost hurricane winds.
“We recommend you don’t leave your homes or remain on the street. Exercise maximum caution.”
Laura Bueno, who was at Torrenueva Beach, Motril at the time said: “What a scare. A heat burst swept away chairs and sunshades.
“It was a hot wind like the winds from the Sahara Desert. It knocked over containers and blew everything into the sea. Children and adults suffered panic attacks.”
What is the original ‘Satan Storm’?
The first storm of this kind was reported in Kopperl Texas in 1960.
The bizarre phenomenon occurred on Jun 15 after a complex of summer storms raged through the area.
Normally, rain that meets dry air will cool through a process called latent heat absorption.
But in this case, all the rain was vaporised creating dense air which turned into speeding winds of almost 80mph.
Shortly after midnight, the air plummeted to the ground reaching 60C – or 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Panicked residents sprung from their beds, gasping for breath in the sweltering heat. Not knowing what was occurring, many thought they were facing the end of the world.
Locals wrapped their children up in wet towels and bed sheets as crops withered in the blazing storm and heat.
The weather event was dubbed “Satan’s Storm” – and the name stuck for similar events.
Another shocked local added: “I don’t remember seeing such a rapid weather change in such a short space of time.”
The wild storms come as Spain tackles ongoing fires tearing through parts of the country.
Four people have now died and six left with horrific burns in Castilla y Leon, north of Spain’s capital, as the country enters its ninth day of wildfires.
While, more than 3,500 residents were forced out of their homes in the provinces of León, Zamora, Salamanca, and Palencia amid reports of 28 active fires.
In Ourense, northwestern Spain, wildfires have devastated almost 60,000 hectares of land, making it the worst forest disaster in the province so far this summer.
The wildfires are evolving irregularly, and all of them are being closely monitored for possible re-ignitions.
A spokesperson for the regional government in León, Eduardo Diego, said residents in the town of Castropetre will be forced to evacuate because of the blaze.
Meanwhile, rescue teams continue to battle the fire tearing through Cáceres, Extremadura, a western Spanish region, which the president of the regional government María Guardiola said was “out of control.”
