“The major incidents occurred in infrastructures that are not even the responsibility of the Porto municipality, but rather of Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP). However, there are no miracles. When it rains—as it did last night, suddenly and quickly—things happen. We will have to get used to the fact that the temperate climate of the city as we know it is changing. Now, it’s the last straw, as they say,” Rui Moreira stated.
The mayor spoke during the presentation of a book from the “Fazer Cidade” collection, co-published by the municipality and Edições Tinta-da-china, and issued a warning about the “impact” of climate change, which he called “a danger to everyone’s life.”
Severe weather hit Porto in the early hours today, causing around 70 incidents, with the “most critical” reported on the Via de Cintura Interna (VCI), where an elderly woman had to be rescued, and traffic circulation in the tunnels of the Bessa and AEP roundabouts, as well as at Campo Alegre, was interrupted.
“I woke up at six in the morning with emergency services sending messages. At my house, the rain was absolutely terrifying. For about 40 minutes, it rained more intensely than I had seen in a long time, resembling a tropical storm (…) fortunately, no one died,” he stated.
Asked whether the municipality fulfilled its responsibilities to prevent so many incidents, Rui Moreira affirmed it had.
“I believe our teams were out in the field, addressing most cases and handling what could be done. Compared to other cities, Porto, due to its structure, is less dangerous,” he remarked.
