From:

http://www.sulinformacao.pt/2014/02/o-algarve-cobriu-se-de-neve-ha-60-anos/

Translated by Google software

By Aurelio Nuno Cabrita*
23/02/2014

 

The month of February has been, over the past decades, rich in natural events.

On February 15, 1941, the country was hit by a violent storm and, in 1969, on the 28th of the same month, it was shaken by the largest earthquake recorded in the twentieth century, in mainland Portugal.

Scarcely fifteen years earlier, on February 2, 1954, another miracle happened – a big snowfall covered the country from north to south. (The snowfall affected our little town of Aljezur as you can see in the photograph, taken from Igreja Nova, what is now the GNR HQ the first building on the left).

Although experiencing a very intense cold, not only in Portugal, but also in the rest of Europe, nothing could foresee the unusual event. The Algarve, used to mild temperatures, despaired before the cold that had invaded and despite the harbingers of spring with the arrival of the swallows, lived through days of an icy winter that led to the fall of a heavy snowfall.

It was an unusual phenomenon, but not unheard of in the South, this arrival for a few hours of a rare Algarve snow – the snowflakes falling, it was said, like the petals of almond.

For its uniqueness, the snowfall was recorded in the memory of all who witnessed it and was widely spread by the journals of the time as the “Daily News” (DN), “The Century” and “The Voice”. It is through the annals of these papers that we revisit the region for those odd days.

On 1 February, the DN recorded snowfall in Lagos and Odiáxere, causing great confusion among popular. Also in Lagos, were seen a few flakes still January 31, but it was February 2 that the snow hit, there and throughout the region.

At its peak: “This afternoon [February 2] from 16 to 19 hours, snow fell with greater intensity, so the city was all covered in white. On the roads snow reached between 10 and 20 inches tall. There is no memory among the elderly people of the land of anything similar to what now witnessed and it is commented how strange a phenomenon it is in these parts. “The temperature dropped quite dramatically, reaching, in Portimão, 1 ° C.” according to The Voice.

In Bensafrim, snow fell for over an hour, changing the landscape: “The roofs, paths, and the fields have taken on a charming aspect, with its immaculate whiteness, never seen before in these areas. The snow cover reached a few inches thick and served as fun for the children”.

Lagos fell “under an icy cold”, along with drizzle. In Odeceixe, the phenomenon lasted for three hours, snowfall in some places, being more than 8 inches deep, leaving the fields “completely white”, an unprecedented vision.

Also in Lagos it snowed abundantly. The same happened in Porches, while in neighboring Pera Pera, just in almond snow caused admiration: “a wonderful spectacle never seen in this town.” “With a uniform shade of sky of lead and absence of wind, snow fell in the morning, on this location. The roofs and the fields were completely white and the show for the first time here observed, strongly impressed the population.”

About Alcantarilha was published: “The cold has been very intense. In the morning dropped a snowfall, which astonished many people, because in truth there is no memory of such a large amount of snow. The extremely light flakes, seemed petals of almond flowers.” In the railway junction of Tunes, the village “agreed under a thick blanket of snow. No memory of a snowfall so in the Algarve.”

In the old city of Silves, “snow fell on this city and surroundings all afternoon yesterday, providing a rare beauty show. No-one remembers such low temperature, nor so much snow,” as reported “The Voice”, referring again: “Today, because of the snowfall that fell during the night, the fields, rooftops, trees and streets were covered with great snow cover, whose appearance was charming as in some points the white layer reached 40 cm in height. The entire population rushed to higher ground, to witness so beautiful an aspect which remained until the sun broke everything. ”

The same happened in São Bartolomeu de Messines: “It snowed yesterday with such intensity that in just over two hours the snow reached at some points, more than 30 cm thick. It was lovely viewing of large alvinitentes extensions “.

In the capital district, Faro, a report dated 3rd stated: “During part of the day yesterday and last night fell on this town heavy snowfall, a fact which is recorded for the first time here and aroused the most lively curiosity, because the most people had never seen snow. This reached some points over a span of time and they stood for most of the day, which was very cold. ”

The same happened in Estoi, where the thermometer registered 0º C. Also in São Brás temperatures fell greatly, the thermometer registering, “two degrees below zero, which dropped to four to 19 hours, temperatures that there is only 23 years were recorded”, reported The Voice “. Snow fell in São Brás continuously for 10 hours, reaching the streets “30 cm high and, in some places, one meter”.

In turn, in Olhão, it snowed heavily during the afternoon, until about 9pm, leaving a white carpet 15 cm deep. On the street of Eng. Duarte Pacheco, drifting snow even blocked the doorways. The next morning, “the village appeared wrapped in a huge white blanket of snow and ice, giving Olhão the opportunity to witness a unique spectacle. During the day, people poured into the street, the accumulated snow on the terraces of the residences, which gave rise to thick blocks that despite the sun were slow to melt. Around, the almond blossoms mingling with snowflakes, offered a great show.”

In Fuzeta, wrote the newspapers, “there is no memory as stunning as the one that occurred in this village, whose streets and terraces were covered with snow.” In fact, by the sea and all along the coast, hundreds of boats and beaches themselves were covered in snow.

In Tavira, it snowed abundantly between 6pm and 11pm, accumulating about 40 cm deep in Martyrs of the Republic. As for the fields, referred to the DN, “all the trees seem almond blossom.”

In the parish of Cachopo, the snow was about 60 centimeters, also falling in earnest in Santa Catarina. The latter locations even called the fire department from Tavira to clear snow off roofs and balconies, because they were afraid that the weight would force them to collapse.

In fact, the idyllic and charming setting caused by the snowfall was accompanied by huge losses. The press did not stop to list this saying “in the Algarve, where the rarity of the white snow of the show lent greater importance to snowfall (…)” The other side of the coin is, however, the desolation of the farmers in presence of devastated crops. Many startups trees were damaged, almond crops were lost as incalculable losses for seed are the sad balance of this show,” reported the DN.

“The Century” listed some damage in Silves. “The collapsible theater of the Oliveira Rafael company, which is installed in Largo da Lady of Martyrs, collapsed with the weight of snow and volunteer firefighters could do nothing. One of the firefighters was dragged by the collapse, going to fall in the audience”.

In Falacho, a large eucalyptus fell under the weight of snow, not to mention olive and carob trees. Primary schools were blocked by snow, making it painful access of students and teachers. The roads were littered with accidents, on the hillside of St. Peter some vehicles were in ditches because they skidded in the snow.

The journeys of coaches to Armacao de Pera were interrupted for four hours and factories of the cork industry did not work as a result of intense cold which was felt. Recent seed that has not germinated will not suffer losses with snow, but the peas and broad beans were burned, which causes a great loss to the region.”

These losses were repeated throughout the Algarve. In Estoi, the favais were hidden under half a meter of snow, which also happened in Frame Guide, etc. There were still roofs to be swept, as in Moncarapacho or Olhão, broken poles and wires or electricity or telephone, interrupting the respective services.

In Faro, for example, reported the DN, “all last night and part of the day the supply of electricity to the city was interrupted and from the 4pm yesterday until 11am today telephone connections with Lisbon and the rest of the country were cut.”

The same happened in Olhão, where even workers repairing damage and clearing snow had to be rescued, paralysing the work. Roads were impassable, blocked with cars and buses.

In Tavira, jobs were suspended, while in Alcoutim only journeys between Vila Real de Santo António and Martinlongo took place, but in difficult conditions.

Rail connections were also affected, circling trains with delays. There were the countless pedestrian falls in the streets and with them many arms and legs broken. The cold of those days still killed many birds and swallows who had arrived the day before, hit by the cold, entered the houses in search of refuge.

However and despite all these setbacks and losses, the snowfall was marked in memory of those who witnessed by surprise and spectacle that created, causing still charm and wonder.

If the past 60 years, several times, small snowflakes have fallen in the region. But never to this day was repeated one of equal size to the snowfall that occurred in February 1954.

* Author: Aurelio Nuno Cabrita is environmental engineer and researcher of Local and Regional History.