Severe windstorm sweeps through Entebbe, overturns light aircraft

April 11, 2026 in Transport, Travel & Tourism by Editor

A sudden waterspout-driven windstorm overturns a light aircraft at Entebbe International Airport, highlighting growing weather-related risks to ground operations.

 

A sudden windstorm of unusual intensity swept through Entebbe International Airport early Friday morning, overturning a light aircraft and sharpening concerns about the growing volatility of weather patterns as global temperatures continue to rise.

The storm, described by meteorological authorities as a waterspout system originating over Lake Victoria, struck the airport’s apron area with unusual force. One light aircraft was left inverted on Apron 04 at the old airport, while another was pushed into the grass, escaping damage.

According to Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), no injuries were reported and scheduled flight operations continued without disruption.

“On the morning of Friday, April 10, 2026, strong winds were experienced in the vicinity of Entebbe International Airport. The adverse weather impacted a light aircraft, which was parked on Apron 04. No one sustained injuries,” said UCAA Public Affairs Manager Vianney Luggya Mpungu.

He added that technical teams are assessing the extent of the damage in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

Meteorological officials, operating under the Ministry of Water and Environment, indicated that the system had been tracked hours earlier. An orange-level weather alert was issued around 2am for the Entebbe area, warning of potentially severe conditions driven by south-easterly winds.

Preliminary findings suggest the gusts overwhelmed tie-down anchors securing aircraft parked in the open, pointing to the limits of ground handling resilience under extreme weather conditions.

Images taken at the old terminal of Entebbe International Airport show a light aircraft flipped over and lying inverted on the tarmac, with visible deformation to its left wing, underscoring the force of the windstorm that swept through the airfield.

The incident also reportedly caused damage to some vehicles within the airport vicinity, although UCAA said it could not immediately confirm the extent of those losses.

Located on the Entebbe peninsula along the shores of Lake Victoria, the airport is periodically exposed to volatile weather patterns, including thunderstorms and strong wind systems generated over the lake.

While the latest event did not disrupt scheduled flights, it underscores growing operational risks linked to extreme weather events and raises questions around infrastructure robustness, early warning utilisation, and ground safety protocols.

Authorities say a full assessment is ongoing, with findings expected to inform future mitigation measures.