Six districts on orange wind alert as Storm Charles crosses Portugal on Wednesday
IPMA has put Lisbon, Setúbal, Leiria, Santarém, Beja and Faro on orange wind warnings from noon to 9pm on Wednesday 11 November, with gusts of 100 to 120 km/h. Heavy rain hits the inland centre and south early on Tuesday, and Madeira goes orange from Tuesday night.
Storm Bruna has barely loosened its grip and the next one is lined up. Portugal’s weather service, IPMA, has named it Charles and already placed six mainland districts on orange wind warnings for Wednesday 11 November: Lisbon, Setúbal, Leiria, Santarém, Beja and Faro, from noon to 9pm, with gusts of around 100 to 120 km/h.
Orange is the middle of three levels. It means dangerous weather, the kind that brings down trees, scaffolding and loose roofing.
Which districts are under orange warnings for Storm Charles?
For Wednesday’s wind, the six above, according to IPMA’s official warnings map as it stood on Monday evening. Coimbra, Aveiro, Castelo Branco, Évora and Portalegre are on yellow for wind over the same hours, with gusts up to 90 km/h.
One orange warning lands before Charles does. From midnight to 9am on Tuesday, Santarém, Castelo Branco, Évora and Portalegre are on orange for persistent, sometimes heavy rain. That is Bruna’s tail, which sits almost still north-west of Iberia until Friday, as we set out when the week of rain began. Civil protection logged 189 flooding incidents between midnight and midday on Monday alone.
When does Storm Charles reach Madeira and the mainland?
Madeira gets it first. From 9pm on Tuesday until midday on Wednesday the whole island is on orange for rain, and the south coast and Porto Santo are on orange for wind, with gusts to 100 km/h and up to 130 km/h in the mountains. IPMA says more than 100 mm of rain in 12 hours is possible on high ground.
On the mainland, conditions worsen from late Wednesday morning. The likeliest track takes the centre of the low between Sines and Cabo Carvoeiro, the cape at Peniche, with the wind swinging from south to north and south-westerly waves of 4 to 6 metres along the coast south of Peniche from the afternoon. Later on Monday IPMA added orange sea-state warnings for the Lisbon, Setúbal, Beja and Faro coasts, also from noon to 9pm on Wednesday. IPMA stresses there is high uncertainty over both path and strength, so the map may change. The Azores are spared.
What to do before Wednesday
The usual list, done on Tuesday rather than Wednesday morning. Bring in or tie down plant pots, awnings and balcony furniture. Clear gutters and the drain outside your door. Park away from trees and from streets that tend to flood. On the road, slow down and never drive through standing water.
If you were planning an outdoor São Martinho chestnut roast, the weekend looks a safer bet.
Illustrative · Photo: Ary Attab / Pexels
