Civil Protection recorded 198 incidents between midnight and 8am this Saturday, following the passage of depression Cláudia.
The majority of incidents, 159, corresponded to flooding. There were also 17 situations that required road cleaning, eight structure falls, seven mass movements and five tree falls, José Miranda, Civil Protection officer on duty, told TSF.
The Porto Metropolitan Area was the most affected area, with 97 incidents, followed by the Aveiro region, with 50. 411 operational personnel and 159 vehicles were mobilized on the ground. Despite the intensity of the precipitation, there were no reports of injuries or significant damage to buildings or other structures.
Beja, Setúbal, Faro and Braga with orange warning
The bad weather is expected to continue over the next few hours. Between 09:00 and 15:00, the districts of Beja, Setúbal, Faro and Braga are under orange warning due to heavy rain. Viana do Castelo, Porto, Viseu, Aveiro, Coimbra, Portalegre, Santarém and Lisbon maintain yellow warning until Sunday at 3 pm. The entire western and southern coast of the country is also under yellow warning due to strong sea disturbances.
The maritime unrest also led to the closure of eleven bars to all navigation, according to the National Maritime Authority. Bars in Caminha, Douro, Vila Praia de Âncora, Esposende, Póvoa de Varzim, Vila do Conde, Portinho da Ericeira, Albufeira, Alvor, Vila Real de Santo António and Tavira are closed.
Care to take
In the face of adverse conditions, the Civil Protection recommends special care when traveling and staying in wooded areas and advises caution along the coastline and riverside areas. It also asks that they be Avoid activities related to the seasuch as sport fishing, water sports, walks along the seaside or parking vehicles near the coastline.
Among preventive measures, the authority also highlights the importance of a defensive drivingwith speed reduction and attention to the formation of water tables; the need to do not cross flooded areasto avoid dragging or falling into holes and open sewage boxes; and the removal of animals, equipment and vehicles from normally floodable areas.