According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, Vila Real, Bragança, Porto, Aveiro, Viseu, Guarda, Coimbra and Castelo Branco will be under orange weather warning until 6 am on Saturday, the second most serious on a scale of three, for precipitation, in which “heavy showers, hail accompanied by thunderstorms and gusts of wind” are expected.
Between 6 am and 9 pm on Saturday, these 10 districts in the North and Center regions of mainland Portugal will be under yellow warning (the least serious on a scale of three) for precipitation and thunderstorms.
The remaining eight districts of the Centre, Lisbon and Tagus Valley, Alentejo and Algarve regions, namely Leiria, Santarém, Portalegre, Lisbon, Setúbal, Évora, Beja, and Faro, are open from 3 pm today until 3 am on Saturday under yellow warning due to the forecast of “showers, sometimes heavy, with hail and accompanied by thunderstorms and convective gusts”, as well as “frequent and scattered” thunderstorms.
The yellow warning, the least serious on a scale of three, is issued by IPMA whenever there is a risk situation for certain activities depending on the meteorological situation, while the orange warning, the second most serious, is issued whenever there is a meteorological situation of moderate to high risk.
On Thursday, Civil Protection warned of worsening weather conditions today and Saturday, with the possibility of hail, temperatures rising to 36 degrees, and a high danger of rural fires.
In a warning to the population, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) cited IPMA forecasts that point to the possibility of showers, sometimes heavy, accompanied by thunderstorms in the North and Center regions, “the possibility of thunderstorms cannot be excluded dry.”
Strong wind is to be expected from the south and a rise in the maximum temperature is also expected, with values between 33 degrees and 36 degrees.
Floods may occur in urban areas, with a risk of possible landslides and road surfaces may accumulate sheets of water. Falling tree branches and damage to communication and energy infrastructure are other expected effects.
According to ANEPC, the impact of these effects can be minimized through the adoption of appropriate behaviors. Particularly in historically more vulnerable areas, it is recommended to unblock rainwater drainage systems and remove inert materials and other objects that could be dragged or create obstacles to the free flow of water.
Ensuring adequate fixation of loose structures, namely scaffolding, billboards, and other suspended structures, and taking special care when traveling and staying near wooded areas, are other recommendations.