Storm Charles Brings Portugal to a Near Standstill

Storm Charles Portugal red alert Lisbon, Digi Mart USA News (Portugal): Portugal is on alert this Wednesday. Authorities have ordered the closure of schools and non-essential public services and recommended that residents avoid unnecessary travel ahead of the expected impact of Storm Charles, which could bring torrential rain and violent winds.

The southern half of the Iberian Peninsula, including the capital Lisbon, has been placed on red alert by the national meteorological agency, while the north is under an orange alert. Following a government recommendation, conferences scheduled in Lisbon on Wednesday for the second day of the Web Summit, an international gathering on the digital economy, were canceled due to risks including coastal flooding, major public transport disruptions and the impact of strong winds on outdoor structures, the organizers announced Tuesday evening.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro warned, “Do not underestimate the danger and the risks associated with these extreme weather phenomena,” after a meeting at the civil protection headquarters. Following the passage of Storm Bruna since Sunday, he said, “we are facing a situation that will worsen, and it is foreseeable that during tomorrow we may go through difficult hours.”

According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the first effects of Depression Charles are expected on Portuguese territory on Wednesday morning. In addition to heavy rain, forecasts cite winds of 100 to 120 km/h, with gusts reaching up to 140 km/h locally, and the coastline will be hit by swells of up to 13 meters.

The Lisbon city government decided to close road tunnels, as well as its parks and museums. In central Portugal, the cities of Coimbra and Leiria also took exceptional preventive measures.

On Wednesday, the main Portuguese airports are expected to operate at reduced capacity, with a risk of flight cancellations, the airport operator ANA warned.

Last winter, between January 22 and February 15, Portugal was hit by seven successive storms, accompanied by winds reaching 130 km/h, intense rainfall, flooding and landslides. The Iberian Peninsula is particularly exposed to climate change and is experiencing longer heat waves and increasingly frequent and intense heavy rain episodes.