Portuguese forced to flee to safety after huge wave crashes onto Porto waterfront

Stunned locals in Porto were the latest to experience the full force of the extreme weather which has swept towards Western Europe

Portuguese forced to flee to safety after huge wave crashes onto Porto waterfront

In Britain, hundreds of ‘storm sightseers’ have been risking their safety by getting as close as possible to the waves battering the UK coastline.

But the phenomenon doesn’t just happen on these shores - as the Portuguese showed when they got dangerously close to a huge wave in Porto.

Spectators filming extreme weather off the Douro river had to flee to safety when a giant wave crashed in off the coast.

The wave whipped up and crashed down onto the waterfront, causing stunned Portuguese locals to head for higher (and drier) ground.

At least four people were injured and cars swept away by the wave which battered the Portuguese coastline on Monday.

Portugal has also felt the force of the high winds and severe storms which have swept across Western Europe in the last few days.

In Lisbon, storms caused extensive damage to shops and restaurants in the tourist part of the city.

MORE PICTURES OF THE STORMS BATTERING UK COASTLINE: