Weird “light show” over Portimão

Let’s begin with the facts. In the early hours of 15th April, around 2.20am, a number of people witnessed gigantic flashes of light on the horizon over Portimão.

Some of the braver souls filmed the strange phenomenon, which is now circulating the Internet under the title “apagão de Portimão”.

Sources at EDP have informed the press that the flashes stemmed from a short-circuit at the Porto de Lagos electricity sub-station, which brought down “two medium tension lines, and caused a small fire”.

More than 50.000 people were “blacked out” (without power).

And the official explanation? It had to do with “thefts of copper” that “overloaded the grid”.

Thefts of copper?! But no-one found a charred, steaming thief stuck to any electrical cables – like they did when that unlucky stork plunged half the country into darkness a few years back, did they?

Besides, we all know that thieves in the Algarve prefer stealing ATMs when joy-riding filched JCBs… it’s an M.O. that carries far less likelihood of electrocution, after all.

A rather more alternative theory points at tests on the exterior lighting at Portimão’s new «Aqua» commercial centre having blown the town’s electrical system.

Now, that sounds possible… but it still doesn’t explain the dozens of panic emergency 112 calls made by an alarmed populace.

“My goodness, I’m not making this up... the place where I am… everything’s gone crazy… even on the day there was that earthquake I’ve never seen dogs so riled up”, wrote one witness.

“We’re all going to die…” screamed a terrified youngster on one of the films captured via mobile phone on the hills outside Alvor.

“These aren’t fireworks. This isn’t normal! What the heck is it? The world’s gonna end!” A young filmmaker documented for posterity.

Very worrying, indeed.

From our offices, we’ve also noticed strange comings and goings of high-cylinder vehicles ushering “men in black” in and out of Portimão throughout the week.

We were worried it was the IMF and wondered if they’d stop at our door and ask the way to Portimão’s council offices. But, thankfully, the whole thing seems to have blown over for now.

That’s not to say it won’t get talked about for some time to come – as this isn’t the first time Portimão’s been visited by the paranormal. Last New Year’s Eve there was that UFO sighting! And there are those that say that urbanism is a phenomenon from outer space…