Severe Weather Strikes Portugal
Heavy rain swept across Portugal from north to south during the early hours, leading to dozens of incidents, including floods in Setúbal and Lisbon. In the Ajuda area, a medium-sized tree fell on Rua Nova do Calhariz, damaging two cars, as reported by the Lisbon Firefighters to SIC.
Previous Day's Impact
On the previous Wednesday, authorities recorded a total of 270 occurrences due to adverse weather conditions. The Civil Protection had anticipated an increase overnight into Thursday, citing a "peak in precipitation."
Official Statements and Damage Reports
In statements to Lusa, Commander Pedro Araújo of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) noted that between midnight on the 12th and midnight on Thursday, there were 270 incidents caused by strong winds and intense rains. Fortunately, there were no victims or displaced persons, but significant damage occurred, primarily from strong winds. This included fallen trees damaging cars, collapsed electricity and telecommunications poles, and destruction of structures like roofs.
Regional Variations
Districts in the Alentejo—such as Évora, Portalegre, and Beja—were relatively spared, with Civil Protection telling CMTV that no incidents were recorded, describing the night as "relatively calm."
In the latest balance at midnight on Thursday, the most affected areas up to that point were Coimbra with 36 incidents, the Porto metropolitan area with 30, and Greater Lisbon with 26. The Algarve saw an increase from 4 incidents at 7 PM on Wednesday to 18 by midnight, due to intense rainfall in recent hours.
Forecast and Preparedness
According to Pedro Araújo, a significant rise in incidents was expected overnight because a peak in precipitation between 3 AM and 6 AM was forecast by the IPMA (Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere), bringing intense and persistent rain for three hours, mainly affecting the Lisbon and Setúbal regions.
To respond, ANEPC escalated its device from level 1 to level 2 starting at 2 PM on Wednesday, ensuring readiness for potential situations. On Wednesday, ANEPC had 897 operational staff and 359 vehicles deployed to handle the effects of Storm Cláudia, which is impacting the country, with reinforcements planned for Thursday.
Public Warnings
On Tuesday, Civil Protection urged the public to take preventive measures against forecasts of rain, wind, and rough seas in the coming days. In a population warning, ANEPC cautioned about possible floods and landslides as weather conditions worsen in mainland Portugal due to the passage of depression Cláudia.
Mainland Portugal and the Madeira archipelago have been under meteorological warnings since Tuesday for various reasons, including rough seas, wind, or precipitation, expected to last through Thursday and Friday.
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