There are winds that whisper and winds that speak with a voice so forceful it seems to remodel the air itself. In the quiet hours before dawn, the depression known as Kristin gathered strength over the Atlantic, its breath deepening into a gale that would leave its mark across regions and memories alike.
By the time the storm reached Portugal’s mainland, it had already gathered potency. Across the western and central districts, instruments recorded gusts that rattled windows, bent trees like reeds, and roared through streets emptied by caution. Among these measurements stood one particularly striking figure: a wind gust that reached an estimated 208.8 kilometers per hour in Degracias, within the municipality of Soure. It was, according to provisional data from the Institute of Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), one of the most extreme bursts of wind registered during the entire event.
This peak reading, recorded at around 05:40 on Wednesday, far exceeded the more broadly validated 149 km/h gust at Cabo Carvoeiro and the approximately 178 km/h at the Monte Real Air Base — itself a remarkable figure that highlighted the sheer dynamic force of the storm.
Although all measurements await final validation due to differences in station calibration and terrain influences, the provisional values paint a picture of an intense disturbance — one that rivaled the strongest winds seen in recent decades. Numerous weather stations across the country, spanning from the interior to coastal points, logged gusts above 120 km/h, underscoring the widespread reach of Kristin’s turbulent passage.
Beyond the raw numbers, the lived experience of those hours was defined by an environment transformed. Roof tiles rattled and, in some cases, lifted. Trees that had stood for generations bent and broke. The very sound of wind rose and fell like the steady cadence of an ocean storm, reminding communities that nature’s forces are both ancient and unpredictable.
These wind speeds are not merely meteorological footnotes; they reflect a violent encounter between a powerful atmospheric system and the landscapes it crossed. Scientists and officials will continue to refine and verify data, but the consensus from initial reports is clear: Kristin’s gusts were among the strongest ever recorded on Portuguese soil during such a storm.
As the nation moves from shock toward assessment and recovery, these measurements serve both as evidence and as testimony — markers of an extraordinary event that will be studied, remembered, and woven into the narrative of a winter storm that tested both infrastructure and human resilience.
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Sources SIC Notícias Renascença JN (Jornal de Notícias) Plataforma Media Lusa News Agency (via multiple outlets)