One of the protective dykes along the right bank of the Mondego River burst this afternoon near the Casais bridge area, forcing the full closure of the A1 motorway in both directions and worsening the already critical flooding situation in Portugal’s central region.
The breach occurred at around 5.45pm near São João do Campo, close to a viaduct on the country’s main north-south motorway, according to reports in the national press. Water flooded the surrounding area, prompting authorities to immediately halt traffic on one of the key road links between Lisbon and Porto.
Media outlets report the affected area consists mainly of agricultural fields, with no residential properties currently believed to be directly at risk.
The collapse came just hours after Portugal’s National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) identified the Mondego as the most critical flood point in the country.
National commander Mário Silvestre had described the situation in Coimbra as the “most worrying”, citing a “significant risk of a breach in one of the dykes”.
“There are 30 kilometres of dykes, from the Coimbra area down to Figueira da Foz,” he said at a press conference held at ANEPC headquarters in Carnaxide.
According to the commander, riverside populations had been previously alerted and contingency plans were put in place. “Reception and accommodation centres are already set up and prepared to receive people,” he said, noting that priority had been given to evacuating elderly residents, including care homes located in more vulnerable areas.
Flooding expected to persist
Although rainfall may ease in the coming days, Silvestre warned that the danger is far from over. He stressed that the ongoing flooding is mainly due to accumulated water in rivers and reservoirs, rather than new precipitation alone.
The continuation of flooding will be driven “not by rainfall itself, but by its impact on watercourses and dams”, he said.
“It is important to alert the population that the meteorological phenomena we are experiencing have not yet passed. They are persistent and have a very significant impact on people’s lives and daily routines, especially those living in riverside areas,” he added.
River flows are currently “well above what would be expected”, with some waterways reaching levels “not seen in more than 20 years”.
In addition to the Mondego, Civil Protection is maintaining close monitoring of the Tagus, Sorraia, Vouga, Águeda and Sado rivers, where there is also a “significant risk of flooding”.
