Viseu, Porto, Viana do Castelo, Aveiro, Coimbra, and Braga are regions under a yellow weather alert, the third most severe, until mid and late afternoon today. In the district of Leiria, the warning continues until 9:00 PM.
In the Azores archipelago, the Central and Eastern groups are under a yellow alert due to the forecast of occasional heavy rainfall, potentially accompanied by thunderstorms.
On the islands of Faial, Pico, São Jorge, Terceira, and Graciosa, belonging to the Central group, the alert is in place until 12:00 PM on Monday.
In Flores and Corvo, which make up the Western group, the alert is effective until 6:00 AM on Monday.
After several days under an orange alert due to depression Cláudia, the severe weather is beginning to abate in mainland Portugal. However, heavy rain, hail, thunderstorms in the west coast, and strong winds in the west coast and highlands are still expected. The maritime agitation will also remain strong throughout today.
The yellow alert is issued by the IPMA when there is a risk to certain activities dependent on the weather conditions.
Mainland Portugal recorded 815 incidents from 12:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday due to severe weather, mainly flooding, with the majority in the Porto Metropolitan Area, followed by the Algarve region, according to an official source from Civil Protection.
The highest number of incidents, 506, were related to flooding, followed by 103 road clean-ups, 97 fallen trees, 54 structural collapses, and 50 involving mass movements or landslides.
The National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) reported, as of 6:00 PM, one fatality and 28 injuries, two of which are serious, in the Algarve region due to an “extreme wind event,” it said.
According to ANEPC’s operations officer, based on IPMA’s forecast, the trend will be towards “an easing” of the “weather conditions,” which is already being noticed, as “the number of incidents is beginning to decrease.”
ANEPC warns that the impact of severe weather can be minimized through appropriate preventive actions, particularly in historically more vulnerable areas, such as clearing rainwater drainage systems.
Civil Protection also advises citizens to be particularly cautious when traveling and staying in wooded areas, take precautions when near the coast and riverbanks, and avoid activities related to the sea, such as sport fishing, water sports, and seaside walks, as well as parking vehicles near the maritime edge.
Other preventive measures include defensive driving, reducing speed, and paying special attention to possible waterlogged areas on roads; not crossing flooded areas to prevent the risk of people or vehicles being dragged into road holes or open manholes; and removing animals, equipment, vehicles, and other goods from normally flood-prone areas to safe locations.
Depression Cláudia has been affecting mainland Portugal and the Madeira archipelago since Wednesday with strong rain, wind, and maritime agitation, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).
