Telegraph polls fall as central districts pummeled by wind and rain
Today is seeing meteorological misery in central and northern Portugal, as the south is also due for downpours later this afternoon.
In Caminha, an ambulance was literally ‘swept away’ in floodwaters (no one was hurt; the vehicle was recovered by firefighters). In Viana do Castelo, underpasses and tunnels have been flooded, while wind gusts have been registered at almost 100 km/ h. In the Minho region, train services have been disrupted. And in various parts of the country ‘public buildings’, namely hospitals and schools, have been living up to their traditional elementary resilience (not) – beset by leaks and freezing cold draughts making normal functioning almost impossible.
Viana do Castelo’s Hospital de Santa Luzia has had to delay ‘ambulatory surgeries’, and see various other departments dotted with buckets, while two schools have just opted to close for the day, full stop.
Porto’s emergency and civil protection command reports “more than 20 incidents due to flooding since 10.30am”, with 24 ‘still open’.
In Barcelos, a tree has crashed down onto two telegraph polls – again, no injuries, so nothing too serious beyond the need for repairs.
In Lisbon, searches still ongoing for the two fishermen missing since Monday night in the Tejo have had to be temporarily suspended because of the weather.
The only ‘positive aspect’ to all today’s problems is that they are expected to be short-lived: normal service (ie dry, sunny weather) should be returning to all regions from January 12.
