Latest news and stories about severe weather in Coimbra, Portugal for expats and residents.
Firefighters have brought the wildfires in Arganil and Vila Nova de Poiares under control, though new blazes in Tábua and Cantanhede continue to mobilize hundreds of personnel and aerial assets. While the situation in the Coimbra district is stabilizing, authorities warn that the danger has not yet passed.
A violent wildfire in the Coimbra district, originating in Arganil, has spread across four municipalities, prompting a massive emergency response involving over 800 personnel despite the withdrawal of aerial support due to nighttime conditions.
The Open Presidency report for the Central region highlights the urgency of unblocking payments and removing woody debris in a context of heightened wildfire risk for the coming summer.
For two weeks, restaurants and shops in Coimbra have had no customers and many have closed after flooding. Owners attempted ad-hoc salvage measures, raising appliances onto chairs and other structures to protect equipment from water. The disruption has halted normal commercial activity and risks prolonged economic strain for small businesses, highlighting the immediate need for coordinated recovery support and assessments of flood resilience for local storefronts.
The controlled discharge from the Aguieira Dam has raised the Mondego’s level and increased the likelihood of a centennial-level flood in central Coimbra. Several railway links and roads are already affected, with transport disruptions and infrastructure at risk. Local authorities and emergency services are monitoring the river closely, issuing advisories and managing responses; residents and travellers are advised to follow minute-by-minute updates as flood forecasts and dam releases evolve. The situation poses short-term travel, safety and logistical challenges and will require coordinated emergency and transport management if levels continue to rise.
In Coimbra, local authorities have evacuated three thousand residents due to the imminent risk of dyke collapse, as persistent rain is expected in the North and Centre regions of Portugal. This article provides real-time updates on the weather conditions affecting the area.
After destructive 208 km/h winds from Storm Kristin, the municipality of Soure faces a second crisis: imminent flooding. Authorities and residents are preparing for rapid inundation, with low-lying areas such as Miragaia in Porto — including the Ribeira — identified as first at risk; local voices say preventing severe damage will require extraordinary measures. The situation highlights compounded hazards for infrastructure and public safety, testing emergency services' capacity and the need for immediate, coordinated flood mitigation and evacuation planning.
A landslide during Storm Kristin caused damage to the section. Residents are forced to travel extra kilometres on detours.
The main access road to several villages in the municipality of Pampilhosa da Serra, in the Coimbra District, is closed.
A brush fire in Almalaguês, in the Coimbra region, is mobilising more than 400 personnel and a dozen aerial assets.
The alert was raised at 15:38. The fire broke out on the border between the municipalities of Coimbra and Miranda do Corvo. There are 319 personnel on the ground, supported by 12 aerial assets.
The fire in Tábua, Coimbra, was declared under control on Sunday afternoon. A new alert was issued for a location far from the main fire.
Fire in Arganil threatened houses and left three firefighters injured. The blaze has now been declared under control.
The fire that spread to three municipalities on Saturday has been brought under control. It started in Arganil in the middle of the afternoon and threatened local villages.
A fire broke out this afternoon in Mouronho, in the municipality of Tábua. It is mobilising 344 personnel and 92 vehicles, supported by ten aerial assets.
The fire in Tábua, in the Coimbra district, has entered the resolution phase.
The speaker of the Iranian parliament says that Iran is exchanging messages with the USA with conditions to end the war. Additionally, a fire in Arganil is estimated to have destroyed around 600 hectares.
At the peak of the operation, 806 personnel were on the ground, supported by 260 vehicles and 15 aerial assets.
Nuno Seixas Pereira, 2nd Sub-regional Commander of the Coimbra Civil Protection, addresses the status of the fire in Arganil. He also adds that the injured firefighters have already been discharged from the hospital.
The fire began yesterday in the Serra de São Pedro Dias, in Vila Nova de Poiares, and spread to the municipalities of Arganil and Góis. Additionally, two German states are heading to the polls today for regional elections.
The three fires that broke out this afternoon in the Coimbra district, 'at practically the same time', have merged and now form a single front, which is burning with 'great intensity'. The 'large-scale' fire has already mobilised several hundred personnel. Reporting from Vila Nova de Poiares, CNN Portugal reporter João Bizarro provides the latest developments.
By 17:30, 661 personnel were mobilised, supported by 197 vehicles and 11 aerial assets.
A commander is among the victims. As of 19:40, 713 personnel were mobilised, supported by 223 vehicles and two aerial assets to combat the fires in Coimbra.
Commander Pedro Louro notes that the terrain's orography in Vila Nova de Poiares is also “not the best” and, combined with a “visible lack of land-use planning”, hinders firefighting efforts.
Jorge Silva, vice-president of ASPROCIVIL, does not anticipate easy hours for the firefighters on the ground in Arganil, as the fire front is causing “some concern”.
