LISBON (The Thursday Times) — Portugal shut its schools, cancelled more than 300 flights, and closed non-essential public services on Wednesday as Storm Charles swept in from the Atlantic, though the worst of the wind and rain passed with less damage than many had feared.
Operations were halted at four international airports, and about 8,000 schools called off classes after the government told people to stay at home. A national supermarket chain closed its stores, and buses ran empty through Lisbon, where some streets flooded as drains backed up.
The national weather agency, IPMA, recorded gusts of more than 120km/h in some areas, and waves of up to seven metres were forecast along the Lisbon and Setúbal coastlines. Authorities told residents to stay away from beaches and exposed seafronts.
Madeira hit first
The storm struck the island of Madeira on Tuesday with winds of about 130km/h, sending swollen streams through parts of Funchal. By mid-afternoon on Wednesday, only the southern Algarve region, a major tourist destination, remained on red alert, the highest level of warning, which had earlier covered more than half the country.
The Web Summit technology conference in Lisbon, which draws around 70,000 people, called off its second day. Organisers said sessions would resume on Thursday.
Government defends its response
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro chaired a crisis unit with eight ministers to track the storm. Interior Minister Luís Neves rejected suggestions that the authorities had overreacted, saying the response followed the weather forecast.
The centre-right government was criticised in January for a weak response when Storm Kristin hit central Portugal, bringing down thousands of trees and damaging property that is still being repaired. In February, a 70-year-old man died in the Alentejo region after floodwater swept his car off a road in the wake of Storm Leonardo.
Storm Charles was forecast to move on into Spain, where millions of workers were on a general strike over housing costs. Organisers cancelled or postponed marches in some southern cities, including Córdoba, Huelva, and Cádiz.
