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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Rebecca Whittaker

British woman, 85, killed after Storm Claudia hits campsite in Portugal

An 85-year-old British woman has died in Portugal after Storm Claudia hit a holiday campsite in the south of the country.

A regional commander of the Algarve identified the woman and said dozens of people were injured in the region after “extreme winds” struck the area.

According to media reports, the woman was initially reported missing at a campsite, but was later found dead.

Luis Montenegro, Portugal's prime minister, sent his "heartfelt condolences" to the family of the woman, who has not been named. He said officials had responded “with full commitment and the greatest possible speed”, but “serious consequences could not be avoided."

The storm, named by the Spanish meteorological service, hit the UK on Friday and caused devastating floods in Monmouthshire, South Wales, where a major incident was declared.

Dozens of people were rescued from their homes or evacuated in the town of Monmouth following severe flooding when the River Monnow burst its banks.

Some 119.6mm of rainfall was recorded at a Natural Resources Wales rain gauge at Tafalog in Gwent, south-east Wales, in the 12 hours to 6am on Saturday, while 80.6mm was recorded over the same period at Suckley, Worcestershire, the Met Office said.

The Environment Agency also issued 86 flood warnings and 190 flood alerts in England by 10am on Saturday.

As well as heavy rain and fast-flowing flood waters, punishing winds also hit north-west Wales and north-west England during Storm Claudia, including 63mph recorded at Aberdaron in Gwynedd and 68mph at Warcop Range in Cumbria.

In a statement, the Welsh government said: “Storm Claudia has caused significant flooding in parts of Wales overnight, which continues to affect homes, businesses, transport and energy infrastructure.

“If you are affected, please follow official advice from NRW (Natural Resources Wales), emergency services and your local authority.”

Peter Fox, the Welsh Conservative Member of the Senedd for Monmouth, described the situation in the area as “extremely bad”.

He said: “I personally haven’t seen it so bad for probably 40 years, certainly in Monmouth since defences were put in place there.”

Monmouthshire County Council, which reported a number of road closures, told people to avoid trying to get into town or make unnecessary journeys due to “the severity of the flooding” and the ongoing operation.

National Rail also told passengers in England and Wales to check before they travel, as some services could be disrupted.

Strong winds also hit north-west Wales and north-west England during Storm Claudia (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

The downpours are set to be replaced with a cold snap next week, bringing frost and snow to the UK as Arctic winds cause temperatures to plummet.

“It’s certainly going to turn much colder over the next couple of days, there will be an eight to 10 degree drop in temperature, you will be struggling to get double figures,” Simon Partridge, Met Office meteorologist, told the Independent.

“We will probably see our first widespread countrywide frost on Monday morning and the lowest temperatures will be somewhere between -5C and -7C.”

“On Tuesday, there is a small area of low pressure that is going to bring in a band of rain, sleet and hill snow,” he added.

This is likely to hit northern parts of the UK, such as Scotland and parts of the Pennines, he explained.

But as on Wednesday and Thursday, there will be more northerly winds, which could cause snowfall in Scotland, the North Sea coast, the North York Moors and possibly Wales or even Dartmoor.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a cold weather warning for parts of the Midlands and northern England from Monday, and the Environment Agency has warned that flooding will continue throughout the weekend.

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