Latest news and stories about emergency services in environment in Madeira, Portugal for expats and residents.
Storm Therese has caused 157 incidents in Madeira, including flooding and structural damage, resulting in one person being left homeless and the closure of a school in Porto Santo.
The President of the Republic is monitoring the aftermath of severe weather in Madeira, where a tornado in Porto Santo caused significant property damage and flooding, leading to nearly 100 emergency incidents across the archipelago.
The Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has issued a yellow warning for the Madeira archipelago today due to strong winds. The advisory signals elevated risk to public safety and potential disruption to transport and maritime operations; residents and visitors are advised to follow local guidance and monitor updates from authorities. The situation warrants vigilance but does not currently indicate the most severe weather categories.
A low-pressure system named Francis is forecast to affect Madeira at around 03:00, prompting an orange weather warning for the early hours. Emergency services have issued alerts advising the public to take precautions against heavy rain, strong winds and possible flooding, with authorities monitoring conditions and readiness for response.
Miguel Albuquerque warned that if this does not happen, the responsibility must be attributed to the Republic.
The Forest Fire Detection System in Madeira now includes 52 additional surveillance cameras. Early detection of forest fires, increasing safety, and protecting heritage are the priorities.
The Regional Civil Protection Service warns of the possibility of falling branches or trees, as well as the disruption of communication and energy infrastructure.
The mayor of Câmara de Lobos indicated that authorities will decide whether it is necessary to permanently relocate families, should there be any danger, based on the conclusions of laboratory assessments.
A large-scale landslide occurred on Friday on a slope at the Seara Velha site, in the parish of Curral das Freiras. The movement of the earth does not pose any “imminent danger”.
The Government of Madeira will “create a drone, similar to one that exists in Israel, to extinguish urban fires in the city centre,” announced Miguel Albuquerque.
Civil Protection and firefighters are on the scene.
Between March 17 and 24, one person was rehoused in Santa Cruz and three others in Câmara de Lobos. The main requests for assistance involved fallen trees, landslides, flooding, and damage to buildings.
The low-pressure system Therese has caused landslides, flooding, and fallen trees since Thursday. A school in Porto Santo, one of the most affected areas, is closed until Wednesday for repairs.
Since Thursday, relief operations have involved 384 personnel and 183 technical resources.
With no casualties reported, storm Therese caused the collapse of infrastructure and trees, flooding, and landslides on the island of Madeira and in Porto Santo. Several roads remain closed.
The number of incidents caused by bad weather in Madeira has risen to 116, according to updated data from the archipelago's Civil Protection Service on March 22. The region has been facing severe weather, including a tornado, since last Thursday. As of 08:30 on Sunday, 301 personnel and 139 technical units were deployed to handle issues including power grid failures, 26 landslides, fallen trees, and 17 floods, with no casualties reported. Porto Santo is among the most affected areas. Due to the damage, the Campo de Baixo primary school will remain closed until March 25 for repairs. Over 99% of mobile network outages have been resolved, though fixed-line recovery is taking longer.
Porto Santo was one of the most affected municipalities, with 28 incidents, following an 'extreme meteorological phenomenon' that hit the territory at the beginning of Friday night.
Extreme wind phenomenon occurred on Friday at 7:00 PM.
In total, 277 personnel and 128 technical resources have already been deployed.
The Madeira Civil Protection Service updated the number of incidents recorded between Thursday and 8:00 am to 96, due to bad weather caused by the passage of the low-pressure system Therese.
There was flooding, fallen trees, roof tiles, and hundreds of broken windows. There are no reports of injuries, only material damage.
Relief operations mobilised 250 personnel and 117 technical resources, and all situations were resolved at the municipal level, with no reports of casualties.
Relief operations involved 35 personnel and 17 technical resources.
A total of 160 personnel and 77 technical resources were deployed for relief efforts.
Among the incidents are five power line collapses, nine fallen trees, two collapses of temporary structures, one flood, and three landslides.
88 personnel and 42 technical resources were deployed for relief efforts, and all situations were resolved at the municipal level.
The Madeira archipelago in Portugal is under alert due to severe weather conditions caused by the passing depression Therese. From Tuesday to at least Friday, the region will experience heavy rain, thunderstorms, strong winds (up to 130 km/h), and significant maritime agitation with waves reaching 10-12 meters. Snow is also expected above 1,400-1,500 meters altitude. These conditions may lead to fallen trees, infrastructure damage, flooding, and coastal erosion. The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere has issued yellow weather warnings, and authorities advise caution during this period.
The archipelago is being affected by Storm Regina, which is expected to impact the weather conditions until Wednesday morning.
IPMA emphasised the possibility of wind gusts of up to 75 kilometres per hour.
Madeira is expected to see waves of up to 4.5 metres on the north coast and 3.5 metres on the south coast. Authorities are urging caution when preparing to go to sea, while at sea and in coastal areas.
