Algarve coast hit with waves up to five meters and flooding as bad weather lingers until weekend

The Algarve will continue to be affected by strong winds and heavy rain from today up until Sunday, with today and tomorrow, Friday, being the two rainiest days, according to a source from the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

“Storm Elsa which is hitting the Azores this week is far north of the continental Portugal territory. What will most directly affect our weather is the passage of frontal ripples associated with a complex storm of which Elsa is part,” explained IPMA meteorologist Ricardo Tavares.

Speaking to Lusa, Mr. Tavares said that the wind will be “moderate to strong and very strong in the highlands, with winds of 95 to 100 kilometres/hour”.

“The worst day in terms of wind and precipitation will be Thursday,” explained the meteorologist, adding that the situation will continue for the next three to four days, with “very heavy wind, and heavy and persistent precipitation.”

“It is also expected that there will be strong maritime agitation on the west coast and the south coast of the Algarve will be affected with southwest waves of four to five meters,” he added.

According to Mr. Tavares, yellow warnings (the third most severe) were issued for the entirety of continental Portugal, taking into account the expected precipitation and sea turmoil.

For the North and Centre regions of the country, orange warnings have been issued (the second most severe), which will be updated if necessary.

“From Saturday onwards there is expected a small improvement, as we are not forecasting the persistence of winds and precipitation so strong,” he said.

The National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority earlier today issued a warning to the population due to worsening weather conditions, heavy and persistent rainfall, strong winds in the highlands, and maritime unrest along the coast.

In its warning to the population, the Civil Protection warns of the possibility of “rapid flooding in urban areas, due to rainwater accumulation or inadequate drainage systems”, and “flooding by overflow of water lines in historically vulnerable areas”.

The authority also warns that, taking into account IPMA forecasts, there is the possibility of flooding of “urban drainage-deficient underground structures”, specifically on roads, as well as falling branches, and damage to assembled structures.

Worsening weather conditions can also lead to “possible accidents on the coast” and “geomorphological phenomena caused by the instability of slopes associated with soil landslides, due to the loss of their consistency”.