Severe hailstorm with three-centimetre ice stones damages roofs and cars in northern Portugal

Sudden onset in Aveiro district

A localized storm hit several municipalities in northern and central-northern Portugal on the evening of Saturday, 5 September 2026. The weather shifted abruptly after daytime temperatures had climbed to 35 degrees Celsius across the region. At around 20:30, violent winds, heavy precipitation, and intense hail began falling over parts of the Aveiro district. The extreme phenomenon caught residents off guard as ice stones measuring approximately three centimetres in diameter battered urban areas and residential settlements. The heaviest downpours and wind gusts concentrated in the parish of Branca within the municipality of Albergaria-a-Velha, where the storm persisted for 20 to 30 minutes before rapidly subsiding.

Structural damage in Branca and Laginhas

The locality of Laginhas in Branca bore the brunt of the material impact, starting suddenly around 20:40. Hailstones and strong wind gusts stripped and cracked ceramic and metal roof tiles, destroyed window shutters, and damaged parked vehicles. Uprooted bushes, fallen trees, and flash flooding affected residential houses, private courtyards, garages, and adjacent outbuildings. Surface runoff overwhelmed local drainage systems, resulting in flooded roads and malfunctioning traffic lights along the Estrada Nacional. Sandra Marcelino, president of the Branca Parish Council, described the sudden barrage to local media:

It was 20 minutes of stones falling with great intensity and then it was as if nothing had happened.

Municipal emergency officials stated that despite the extensive physical destruction across private properties and public infrastructure in Laginhas, no injuries were reported and no residents required emergency relocation or alternative housing.

Impact across neighbouring municipalities

The storm system extended beyond Albergaria-a-Velha, producing localized incidents across other parts of the Aveiro and Vila Real districts. Residents in the municipalities of Oliveira de Azeméis, Vale de Cambra, and São João da Madeira reported severe hail and downpours that caused scattered property damage and street flooding. Further north, in the municipality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar located within the Vila Real district, torrential rainfall flooded multiple streets in the town centre. Strong winds in Vila Pouca de Aguiar overturned municipal equipment and structures installed in central public squares, prompting localized clean-up efforts by municipal crews.

Emergency response and municipal assessments

Following the event, the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Albergaria-a-Velha mobilized response teams, including two emergency vehicles, to Laginhas alongside members of the Branca Parish Council executive. Local firefighters in Albergaria-a-Velha stated that they had not been dispatched to specific rescue calls in the parish during the storm. João Oliveira, the Civil Protection coordinator for the Municipality of Albergaria-a-Velha, reviewed the aftermath with local radio:

It knocked down ceramic and metal roof tiles, creating some damage.

Oliveira noted that all recorded impacts were purely material, involving damaged vehicles, flooded thoroughfares, and punctured roof coverings. Municipal officials requested an analysis from their meteorology team to determine the atmospheric mechanisms behind the rapid storm cycle, while civil protection technicians and parish authorities continued property inspections across affected neighborhoods.