Deadly flash floods lashed the island Madeira Saturday as torrents of rainwashed over the Atlantic island, about 600 miles southwest of mainlandPortugal.

People look at cars carried down a hillside byfloodwaters outside of Funchal, the Madeira Island's capital on Saturday, Feb.20, 2010 (AP Photo/Octavio Passos)

Worst of the flooding struck the capital city of Funchal on the island`ssouthern side, which was dealt the heaviest rainfall owing to the storm`ssoutherly wind flow. The runoff poured down the south slopes of the island`smountain spine to burst through Funchal and its surroundings. Peaks soar to6000 feet above sea level within a few miles north of the city.The Associated Press reports the death toll has surpassed 40.

A storm and trailing cold front triggered the torrential rainfall. The stormwas one in a series of such storms that have lately targeted Spain andPortugal, Morocco and even the Canary Islands with flooding rain and highwinds. These storms have been bolstered by an usually strong temperaturecontrast of the sea surface across the Atlantic Ocean. Abnormally warm watershave been widespread off West Africa whereas relatively cold surface watershave stretched between western Europe and the southeastern United States.

Any additional rainfall through midweek should be light. However, the is somepotential for another strong, rain-laden storm to cross the area on Friday intoSaturday.

Story by Accuweather.com Senior Meteorologists Dave Samuhel and JimAndrews.