Storm Charles Portugal civil protection alert, Digi Mart USA News: Portugal’s government has declared a civil protection alert for Wednesday, November 11, and announced that schools and non-essential public services will close as Storm Charles approaches the mainland. Interior Minister Luís Neves has urged “everyone who can” to stay home and appealed to employers for understanding.
“The country will be put to the test,” Neves told a briefing at Civil Protection headquarters this morning. Outdoor activities will be suspended and access to parks and forests restricted, according to RTP.
Families should check notices from their school or municipality for local closure details.
Madeira will be hit first. The island’s south coast and mountain areas are under a red warning for rain from 9pm Tuesday to 6am Wednesday.
In the mountains, a red wind warning runs from midnight to 6am, with gusts of up to 140 km/h. Portugal’s weather service, IPMA, says some areas could see more than 100mm of rain in 12 hours.
On the mainland, red wind warnings run from 9am to 9pm Wednesday in Beja, Faro and Setúbal, and from noon to 9pm in Évora, Leiria, Lisboa, Portalegre and Santarém. Orange weather warnings cover the other mainland districts.
Heavy rain could set in before the red wind warnings begin, and seas off parts of the west and south coasts could see waves of up to seven metres.
Charles is a separate system from Storm Bruna, which has already brought heavy rain. Flooding disrupted traffic on Lisbon’s Segunda Circular early on Tuesday.
IPMA says Charles’s precise track remains uncertain, while authorities warn of flooding, landslides and possible disruption to power and communications.
Residents are advised to bring loose items indoors, secure garden furniture, pots and anything that could blow off a balcony or terrace, and close windows and shutters. Clear drains and gutters while it is safe to do so, and move vehicles and animals out of flood-prone areas early.
Avoid parking in underground garages at risk of flooding or under trees.
People should keep away from rivers, streams, beaches, cliffs and exposed waterfronts, and postpone non-essential journeys. If driving is necessary, slow down.
Never enter floodwater on foot or in a vehicle. Follow local Civil Protection updates and the latest IPMA warnings.
In an emergency, call 112.
Warnings for the Algarve have specifically referred to the possibility of flooding in Albufeira and Tavira, with areas of the Sotovento expected to be worst hit compared with the rest of the region.
