Rain continues through Thursday, mainly North and Centre

Meteorologists say precipitation will persist across continental Portugal until Thursday, especially in the North and Centre, though intensity should ease before the weekend. Proteção Civil recorded recent storm-related incidents but forecasts indicate a sunnier weekend. Residents in flood-prone or saturated-ground areas should remain alert for local warnings and possible travel disruption, and follow municipal advisories. Those in the North and Centre should monitor local forecasts over the next 48–72 hours.

Update: Público and RTP: rain to continue until Thursday

Público and RTP report precipitation will continue through Thursday, mainly in the North and Centre but with declining frequency and intensity; meteorologist Cristina Simões said the coming weekend should be sunnier. Proteção Civil has recorded dozens of weather-related incidents but has not signalled a new nationwide emergency.

Update: Calamity lifted in 68 municipalities; Tagus alert lowered

Expresso reports the formal state of calamity has now ended in 68 municipalities after two extensions, though it warns that local disruptions — from impassable rural roads to isolated villages and transport interruptions — persist. Público, Observador and CNN Portugal add that the flood alert for the Tagus basin has been downgraded from red to yellow as river flows fall, but Proteção Civil says there are still completely flooded areas that require local response and monitoring.

Update: Coimbra ULS deactivates emergency plan

The Coimbra Local Health Unit announced it has deactivated the External Emergency Plan (Plano Externo de Emergência or PEE), which had been set at level 2 during the peak risk phase after flooding of the Mondego River. The change signals the immediate peak risk has passed locally, though municipal and health services continue local monitoring and response.

Context & Explainers

Civil protection (Proteção Civil) is the national system that coordinates prevention, response and recovery for disasters and emergencies in Portugal; the Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil (ANEPC) oversees planning, warnings and coordination with fire brigades, police and municipal services. In weather events—such as snow or road closures around Serra da Estrela—Proteção Civil issues safety advisories, may close access routes and coordinates rescue and relief efforts, so people in affected areas should follow official guidance and call 112 for emergencies.

A flood alert level is a graded warning based on river levels, rainfall forecasts and expected impacts that tells authorities and the public how serious flooding risk is. In Portugal alerts commonly use a colour scale (yellow = be aware, orange = prepare, red = take action), and they guide actions like road closures, evacuations and transport disruptions.

A state of calamity (estado de calamidade) is a government-declared emergency used after natural disasters or severe storms to speed up response and resource allocation. In Portugal it lets civil protection and other authorities coordinate evacuations, impose temporary restrictions and authorize exceptional spending to manage events like the recent storms.

The Mondego River is the longest river entirely within Portugal, about 234 km long, rising in the Serra da Estrela and flowing west through Coimbra to the Atlantic at Figueira da Foz. Rising Mondego levels often cause floods in Coimbra and downstream towns, so people in the river basin should monitor alerts and avoid riverside areas during heavy rain.