The weather phenomenon caused strong winds and chart topping temperatures, with holidaymakers forced to flee the area
UK tourists were forced to flee a Spanish beach after a horrific weather event coined as ‘Satan’s Storm.’
Local authorities ordered holidaymakers to leave sunny Costa Tropical, Granada’s beaches after the rare weather phenomenon, which saw near-hurricane force winds and a 104-degree Celsius temperature hike, causing objects to fly around the coast.
At least five travellers were rescued during the horrendous weather, after they got into difficulties when in the water, with multiple water toys including inflatable dinghies and longboards, getting pulled out to sea.
The weather conditions were so severe, two tornados and waterspouts formed during the heat blast, impacting popular holiday hotspots in Granada including Motril and Almunecar on Sunday, August 17.
READ MORE: Ryanair passengers ‘too scared’ to sit next to window on flights to Spain
Holidaymakers and locals both faced trouble in Motril, when worried social media users posted clips of damage caused by the storm, with one showing a fibre-glass swimming pool on an apartment block roof being dragged to the ground, the Mirror reported.
Just before 8pm on Sunday, the first emergency calls were made to officials, with the coastguard and a police helicopter both employed after at least one person was declared missing.
. 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.”
The mayor of Motril, Luisa Garcia Chamorro, also issued a warning to residents and tourists on social media, which read: “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.”
Prior to the evacuation order being made, many had already ran from beaches as the visibility reduced to near-zero, with the high winds forcing many to be caught in the middle of a sandstorm and forced to cover their faces with their hands as they headed for safety.
Witness Laura Bueno, speaking about the situation at Torrenueva Beach where some of the rescues took place, 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.” One shocked local added: “I don’t remember seeing such a rapid weather change in such a short space of time.”
A regional emergency response coordination centre said it had received around 20 calls about problems caused by the high winds.
It was not immediately clear this morning if the missing person report was a false alarm or not. A heat burst, informally known as a ‘Satan’s Storm’ is a rare atmospheric phenomenon characterized by a sudden, localized increase in air temperature near the Earth’s surface.
Heat bursts typically occur during night-time and are associated with decaying thunderstorms. They are also characterized by extremely dry air and are sometimes associated with very strong, even damaging, winds.
READ MORE: British man goes blind ‘after drinking free whisky and vodka shots on holiday’
Although the phenomenon is not fully understood, the event is thought to occur when rain evaporates into a parcel of cold, dry air high in the atmosphere, making the air denser than its surroundings.
The parcel descends rapidly, warming due to compression, overshoots its equilibrium level, and reaches the surface, similar to a downburst.
Recorded temperatures during heat bursts have reached well above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), sometimes rising by ten degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) or more within only a few minutes.