Rare "sting jet" storm could hit Portugal with winds over 160 km/h

Portugal is on alert as the depressions Bruna and Charles pass over the country. For this Wednesday, there is also the possibility of a phenomenon called sting jet, a rare meteorological event that can generate gusts with greater destructive force, as happened with Kristin at the beginning of the year, which devastated several regions of the Leiria district.The Greater Lisbon area deserves particular attention because of the possibility that this phenomenon may occur, especially between midday and late afternoon on Wednesday.On Tuesday, during a preventive Civil Protection press conference, IPMA acknowledged the possibility that a sting jet could form. "There are some indications that it may occur, but it is very difficult to predict. That is what happened in storm Kristin and it is on the table," said Jorge Ponte from IPMA.According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), a sting jet is an air current that rapidly descends inside an extratropical depression and can hit the surface with great intensity. This phenomenon, which occurs in a relatively small and localised area, can produce very strong wind gusts, potentially exceeding 160 kilometres per hour, and cause significant damage.Climate change specialist Duarte Costa, who has used social media to explain the phenomenon and warn of the associated risks, describes it as "an extremely violent jet of wind that descends…