The Algarve is one of a number of districts on alert this morning as a new storm is on the way towards Portugal.
Depression Leonardo is expected to bring winds of up to 100km/ hour, and much more rain.
With flood alerts still relevant in a number of parts of the centre and north of the country, the human fatalities of this latest bout of bad weather have reached 10 this morning, following news of another elderly man who died after falling of a roof, where he was desperately trying to repair the tiles that had been ripped off last week in the ‘weather-bomb’ of Depression Kristin.
According to IPMA early morning, the districts first in line for Leonardo’s effects will be the Algarve and Baixa Alentejo. Starting from the end of this afternoon, these areas can expect “persistent rain, and high winds that could reach 75km/ hour in the Algarve, and 95km/ hour on high ground.
This ‘frontal system’ will gradually extend to other regions of the country during Wednesday. And this is the main concern of authorities: as persistent rain hits territories already suffering swollen rivers and waterways, the risk of further episodes of flooding is very real. Advice for days has been ‘remove animals and agricultural machinery from areas liable to rising waters’.
The risks to life and property posed by Leonardo are expected to continue into Thursday.
As a result of these forecasts, IPMA has issued yellow alerts (the lowest in the scale) for the districts of Faro, Setúbal and Beja for persistent rain between 6pm this evening and 3pm tomorrow, and from 9pm tomorrow until 9am on Thursday.
The districts of Santarém, Lisbon, Leiria, Castelo Branco, Coimbra and Portalegre, are also on yellow alert for persistent rain from 9pm on Wednesday to 9am on Thursday.
When it comes to wind, IPMA has put the districts of Faro, Setúbal, Lisbon and Leiria on yellow alerts from 9pm this evening to midday on Wednesday – again forecasting strong gusts oscillating between 70/ 80 km/ h on low ground to 95 km/h on higher ground.
The Algarve and other districts – Bragança, Viseu, Évora, Porto, Guarda, Vila Real, Setúbal, Santarém, Viana do Castelo, Lisbon, Leiria, Beja, Castelo Branco, Aveiro, Coimbra, Portalegre and Braga – are all on yellow alert for very strong winds on hillsides from 6am on Thursday to mid-afternoon.
Orange alerts have been issued for coastal areas of the Algarve, Porto, Faro, Setúbal, Viana do Castelo, Lisbon, Leiria, Beja, Aveiro, Coimbra and Braga – where waves could reach 11 metres.
There are also orange alerts for snowfall in the districts of Viseu, Porto, Guarda, Vila Real, Viana do Castelo, Aveiro, Castelo Branco, Coimbra e Braga.
Meanwhile, the Azores archipelago is expected to get even more of a battering. IPMA has issued a red alert for the islands, due to high waves, for Thursday, and lesser alerts for high winds from tomorrow evening.
Winds affecting the western and central islands are expected to reach over 100 km/ hour as Leonardo bowls through them.
The depression will remain over Portugal until Saturday.
Source: SIC Notícias
