Portugal’s sea and atmosphere institute (IPMA) has issued a yellow alert for most of the mainland on Tuesday (January 13) due to forecasts of heavy rain, strong winds and snow in high altitude areas.
The yellow alert is primarily due to periods of heavy rainfall, which are expected to affect large parts of the country at different times throughout the night and into Tuesday morning. In the south and interior, including Faro, Beja, Évora, Portalegre, Castelo Branco, Viseu and Vila Real, the alert for rain will be in force between 3am and 12pm on Tuesday.
In the central coastal region, districts including Setúbal, Lisbon, Santarém, Leiria and Coimbra will be under yellow alert for rain from midnight to 6am, while Aveiro and Porto face a longer warning period, from midnight until 9am. Further north, Braga and Viana do Castelo will be under yellow alert for rainfall from 9pm today until 9am on Tuesday, making them the first districts to be affected.
Snowfall is also expected in higher altitude areas. IPMA has placed the districts of Castelo Branco and Guarda under a yellow alert for snow between 6am and 12pm on Tuesday, with accumulation possible in mountainous zones, potentially affecting road conditions.
In addition to rain and snow, strong winds are forecast in the north. Porto will be under a yellow alert for wind between midnight and 6am, while Braga and Viana do Castelo will face wind warnings from 9pm today until 6am on Tuesday.
Bragança is the only mainland district that will not be under any weather warning on Tuesday.
The yellow warning is the least serious issued by IPMA and is used to indicate a situation of risk for certain activities, particularly travel, coastal navigation and outdoor work.
