Storm Charles to bring 140km/h gusts, red alerts to Portugal
Portugal declared a state of alert for Wednesday as Storm Charles approaches with heavy rain, gusts up to 140 km/h and red warnings for Madeira.
Portugal's government declared a civil protection alert for Wednesday as Storm Charles approaches, with schools and non-essential public services set to close and gusts of wind that could reach 140 km/h in exposed areas, authorities said. Spain is also bracing for the storm, with Wednesday expected to be the worst day there.
Interior Minister Luís Neves called on "everyone who can" to stay at home, appealing to employers for understanding, and told a briefing at Civil Protection headquarters that "the country will be put to the test." Outdoor activities will be suspended and access to parks and forests restricted.
Madeira will be hit first. A red rain warning applies to the island's south coast and mountainous areas between 9pm on Tuesday and 6am on Wednesday, while a separate red wind warning for the mountains runs from midnight until 6am, when gusts could hit 140 km/h, according to IPMA, Portugal's weather agency. More than 100mm of rain could fall within 12 hours in some areas.
Mainland Portugal faces its own red wind warnings on Wednesday: from 9am to 9pm in the districts of Beja, Faro and Setúbal, and from midday to 9pm in Évora, Leiria, Lisbon, Portalegre and Santarém, with the rest of the country under orange alerts, Portugal Resident reported. Waves off parts of the west and south coasts could reach seven metres, and IPMA warned of possible flooding, landslides and disruption to power and communications.
Charles is a separate system from Storm Bruna, which has already brought flooding to Madeira, left ten people homeless and one person missing, and forced the cancellation of dozens of flights at Funchal airport. In the Algarve, warnings have specifically flagged flooding risks in Albufeira and Tavira.
In Spain, the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología said Wednesday would be the worst day, with Thursday remaining unstable though less severe, Euronews reported.
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What we know
- Official · Portugal's Civil Protection Portugal declared a civil protection alert for Wednesday as Storm Charles approaches, with wind gusts that could reach 140 km/h in exposed areas and red warnings for Madeira and parts of the mainland.
- Official · Interior Minister Luís Neves Interior Minister Luís Neves urged people to stay home on Wednesday; schools and non-essential public services will close.
- Official · IPMA Madeira faces red rain and wind warnings from Tuesday night, with over 100mm of rain possible in 12 hours in some areas.
- Official · AEMET Spain's weather agency says Wednesday will be the worst day of the storm there, with Thursday remaining unstable.
- 2+ outlets · Euronews, Portugal Resident Storm Bruna, a separate system, has already left ten people homeless in Madeira and one person missing.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Charles is the third named storm of the season to hit the Iberian peninsula, arriving while Madeira is still recovering from Storm Bruna's flooding. Portugal's decision to close schools and non-essential services nationwide, and Spain's own warnings for Wednesday, show how back-to-back Atlantic storms are straining emergency services across the peninsula this autumn.
Sources
Reported by 6 reports from 6 independent outlets in 4 countries.
- Euronews: Storm Charles to hit Portugal and Spain with torrential rain and 120 km/h winds
- Telegrafi: Stuhia Charles pritet të godasë Portugalinë dhe Spanjën me reshje të dendura dhe erëra deri në 130 km/h
- Portugal Resident: State of Alert declared as Storm Charles bears down on Portugal
- Euronews: Portugal on alert as storm Charles brings red warnings to Madeira
- RTVE Noticias: Portugal activa la alerta por el temporal Charles y pide a la población que se quede en casa
Source balance
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Intelligence file
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Confidence and impact scores, 2 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Questions and answers
- When will Storm Charles hit Portugal and Spain?
- Madeira from Tuesday night, the Portuguese mainland from Wednesday, and Spain also expects its worst conditions on Wednesday.
- How strong are the winds expected to be?
- Gusts could reach around 140 km/h in exposed mountain areas of Madeira and up to 120 km/h on the Portuguese mainland, officials said.
- Is this the same storm that hit Madeira last weekend?
- No. Charles is a separate system from Storm Bruna, which caused flooding, left ten people homeless and one person missing in Madeira.
This article was written with AI assistance from 7 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.