"Thought It Was a Tsunami"... Beachgoers Stunned by Massive Roll Cloud Resembling a Giant Scroll

Roll Cloud Spotted Along Portugal's Coast
Southern Europe Endures Heatwave With Temperatures Exceeding 40 Degrees Celsius

As southern Europe continues to endure a heatwave with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius for several consecutive days, a rare meteorological phenomenon has appeared in Portugal. On July 1, Yonhap News, citing the French daily Le Figaro, reported that a massive "roll cloud" was spotted along parts of the northern and central coasts of Portugal, resembling a giant scroll.

Roll clouds along the coast of Portugal created by the heatwave. X

Previously, on June 29, a video capturing the scene at the beach was uploaded to social media. As an enormous mass of clouds rolled in from the sea toward the shore, beachgoers who had come to enjoy the weekend were momentarily alarmed, mistaking it for a tsunami. One user shared a photo taken at the time, writing, "It was truly unbelievable to see this cloud. It felt like a tsunami from a movie." This cloud is called a "roll cloud" in English-speaking countries and is referred to as "durumari gureum" in Korea. Climate expert Mario Marques explained to APTN that the formation of such a cloud requires the right combination of wind, temperature, and humidity conditions.

He explained, "During the day, the ground heats up, creating hot air. As evening approaches, cold air moves in and pushes the hot air upward," adding, "In this process, a tube-shaped cloud forms over the sea along the coastline, as if it is rolling in." He went on to say, "For someone who has never seen it before, it may look frightening, but in reality, it's just a cloud," noting that this phenomenon is more commonly observed in places like Australia.

Roller clouds along the coast of Portugal created by the heatwave. X

On the day the cloud was observed, Portugal experienced a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures in Mora reaching 46.6 degrees Celsius. This set a new all-time high for June, surpassing the previous day's record by 1.2 degrees. In El Granado, southern Spain, temperatures also hit 46 degrees Celsius, setting a new June record. The cause of this heatwave has been identified as a "heat dome" formed over Africa. This hot, dry heat dome has recently affected regions from North Africa to southern Europe and is now expanding its influence into northern Europe.

Meanwhile, the early heatwave has resulted in the deaths of two people in Spain, including a worker and a public official. The cause of death is believed to be heatstroke. In both Italy and France, a construction worker died after collapsing while on the job. A statistician at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimated that between June 30 and July 3, the heatwave sweeping across Europe could result in over 4,500 excess deaths compared to normal levels. The World Meteorological Organization stated that the world must now learn to live with heatwaves and pointed out that, due to human-induced climate change, humanity will face stronger and more frequent heatwaves in the future.