Dozens injured as Portugal hit by 170kmh wind gusts

A WEAKENED Hurricane Leslie has slammed into the coast of Portugal, leaving 27 people injured.

It also uprooted trees, brought down power lines and smashed store windows with gusting winds and heavy rain.

More than 60 people were forced to leave their homes by the storm and 300,000 people suffered power cuts on Saturday night. None of the injuries was reported to be lifethreatening.

Leslie had been downgraded from a category one hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone with winds of 110kmh by the time it landed on Portugal’s Atlantic coast late on Saturday.

State broadcaster RTP said Leslie’s wind speeds reached 170kmh in the coastal town of Figueira da Foz, 200km north of Lisbon.

Warnings

Portugal’s weather service had issued red warnings for high winds or dangerous coastal conditions for 13 of its 18 mainland districts, including Lisbon.

Winds sent trees crashing on to cars and pavements in the Portuguese capital and in the northern city of Porto.

More than 200 power lines were affected by the storm, according to reports from power authority EDP. Some flights were also cancelled or delayed.

Leslie moved east yesterday across the Iberian Peninsula to Spain, where authorities issued warnings for heavy rains and storm conditions for the northern part of the country, advising Spaniards to avoid driving in the storm.

Winds of up to 100kmh uprooted trees in the centre of the country early yesterday morning.

Earlier this week, 12 people were killed in flash floods on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca.