Waves forecast of up to 19-metres high
The population of the island of Corvo, in the Azores, is preparing for the passage of tropical cyclone Kirk. Boats and containers are being removed from the port, and the mooring of street recycling bins and other potentially vulnerable objects has been reinforced.
“We’re trying to protect what appears to be more vulnerable, particularly in places where the sea swell is expected to be very high”, José Manuel Silva, mayor of Vila Nova do Corvo, told Lusa.
Due to the forecast of strong swells, the fishing and sports boats have all been removed from the port and placed in safe areas, as have the containers that were on the quay.
The mayor of the only municipality on the smallest island in the Azores also said that some objects that the wind could blow around have been collected.
“We are taking the precautions that should be taken at a time like this and taking into account the forecasts,” he said, acknowledging that the road around the airport may be closed this afternoon.
Silva emphasised that the island’s 400 or so inhabitants are aware of the precautions to be taken and are following the instructions given by Civil Protection authorities.
“Obviously, people are worried, but hoping that nothing major will happen,’ he added to Lusa, pointing out that the weather was “very calm” on the island this morning.
The mayor also explained that the Municipal Emergency Plan has not yet been activated, but as of this afternoon there will be “a prevention picket with some members of the Municipal Civil Protection Commission to deal with any situation that may occur”.
“We’re on alert. The fire brigade will be too. Everything is on standby for whatever is necessary. And let’s hope that the cyclone passes without any major effects”, he said.
Tropical Cyclone Kirk will pass north of the Azores archipelago as a tropical storm and will cause “worsening weather conditions on all the islands”, IPMA, the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere warned earlier today.
According to a statement from IPMA’s Azores office, at 09:00 local time today (10:00 in Lisbon), the centre of tropical cyclone Kirk (a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale) “was about 850 km west of the Azores, on the island of Flores, moving north-east at a speed of 48 km/h”.
In the Western (Flores and Corvo) and Central (Faial, Pico, Terceira, São Jorge and Graciosa) groups, IPMA predicts “sometimes heavy rainfall, which may be accompanied by thunderstorms, and an increase in the intensity of the wind and sea turbulence, starting late this afternoon”.
Gusts of up to 115 km/h and waves that could reach a significant height of 11 metres (with a maximum height of 19 metres) are forecast in the Western group.
In the Central group, “gusts of up to 90 km/h and waves of up to eight metres in height (15 metres maximum) are expected”.
IPMA predicts waves “that could reach six metres of significant height (12 metres of maximum height)” for Tuesday, in the Eastern group (São Miguel and Santa Maria islands).
Due to tropical cyclone Kirk’s passage through the Azores archipelago, IPMA has issued a red warning for the islands of the Western group due to waves.
Orange and yellow warnings have also been issued for the islands in the Western, Central and Eastern groups, due to sea turbulence, wind and sometimes heavy rain.
LUSA
