The IPMA had initially issued a yellow warning for the islands of Pico, Faial, São Jorge, Terceira, and Graciosa from Wednesday to Thursday due to expected rainfall. However, it has now upgraded the alert to orange from 9:00 PM local time (one hour ahead in Lisbon) on Wednesday until noon on Thursday, citing forecasts of “heavy precipitation, potentially accompanied by thunderstorms.”
These four islands will already be under a yellow warning starting from 3:00 AM on Wednesday, also due to “occasionally heavy” rainfall, which may also include thunderstorms. On Thursday, starting from noon, the warning will be downgraded from orange to yellow until 3:00 PM, also due to rain and thunderstorms.
The western Azorean group (Flores and Corvo) will be under a yellow warning because of “occasionally heavy” rainfall, which may be accompanied by thunderstorms, between 3:00 AM and 3:00 PM on Wednesday.
In a statement regarding this worsening weather, the IPMA notes it is due to the “approach and passage of a frontal system associated with a depression centered northwest of the western group, with moderate to strong activity.”
“As the frontal system moves slowly, continuous precipitation is expected, with accumulations possibly meeting orange-level criteria,” the IPMA states.
The orange warning indicates a high risk or danger due to a potentially dangerous or already dangerous weather situation, involving events such as strong winds, intense precipitation, storms, or maritime agitation.
The yellow warning, the least severe on a three-level scale, is issued by the IPMA whenever there is a risk to certain activities dependent on the weather conditions.
