Last week, both Spain and Portugal were under the influence of a depression, with the Madrid region being one of the hardest hit areas, leading to a rare overflow risk warning for the Manzanares River.
The storm set precipitation records in the Madrid region, causing significant water flow in the Tagus River basin that moved towards Portugal, according to José Carlos Pimenta Machado.
The rise in the Tagus River led to the collapse of two sections of a Roman bridge in Talavera de la Reina, located in the municipality of Toledo in central Spain.
“Managing the situation required a very coordinated effort with both Spain and the Portuguese reservoir concessionaires, along with civil protection, to minimize the impact of the floods,” stated Pimenta Machado.
“Obviously, there are some areas, particularly in Golegã, where certain fields were flooded, but overall, it was quite limited, and I believe a good management effort was made,” defended the official.
Pimenta Machado recalled the floods of 2013 which, with very similar rainfall, recorded flow rates of nearly ten thousand cubic meters per second at Almourol, downstream from Constância.
“This time, due to this combination of reservoir management, we reached a maximum of 2,800 cubic meters per second in a very similar context,” noted the president of the APA.
This comparison was also made by the mayor of Constância, located at the confluence of the Tagus and Zêzere rivers, where several structures were submerged on Monday due to rising water levels.
Sérgio Oliveira reminded that the current flow rates were far below those that caused the 2013 floods when the water reached Praça Alexandre Herculano in the historic center of the town, or even the largest flood recorded there in 1979.
Pimenta Machado also mentioned that lessons were learned from six storms that hit the country since the beginning of the year, aimed at improving management of future climate events.
“We need to prepare the country for this. The climate is changing, that’s a fact. We are in a time of setting precipitation records and temperature increases,” warned the official.
Pimenta Machado highlighted the impact of both Martinho and the Jana storm on regions very vulnerable to coastal erosion, such as Figueira da Foz, as well as the entire area around Ovar and Furadouro.
In November, the APA stated that Portugal has already lost 13.5 square kilometers to the sea between 1958 and 2023, equivalent to 1,350 football fields, and that 20% of the coast, approximately 180 kilometers, is at risk of coastal erosion.
Pimenta Machado was speaking on the sidelines of the Macau 2025 International Forum and Exhibition on Environmental Cooperation, which began today and runs until Saturday.
