The warnings from the regional maritime authority are based on forecasts from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
The bad weather warning is classified as “signal 6”, which represents winds with a force between 51 and 62 kilometres per hour from any direction, which leads the captaincy to recommend “that vessel owners and shipowners take the necessary precautions to ensure their safety”.
Regarding the warning of strong winds and poor visibility on the coast of the Madeira archipelago, it is indicated that the wind will be from the south/southwest “calm to moderate, gradually increasing to moderate to fresh, increasing to fresh to very fresh from the end of the afternoon, sometimes strong at the end of the period”.
The forecast for visibility at sea is “good to moderate, becoming moderate to poor, sometimes poor, towards the end of the period”.
The waves on the north coast and the south part will be around two meters high.
In view of this situation, the captaincy “recommends the entire maritime community and the general population to take precautions, both when preparing to go to sea and when they are at sea or in coastal areas”.
Reinforcement of mooring and surveillance of moored and anchored vessels, avoidance of walks near the sea or in areas exposed to rough seas, and refraining from recreational fishing, especially near cliffs and cliff areas frequently hit by breaking waves, are some of the indications left in the notice.