António Araújo / Lusa
Cyclone tropical gabrielle
Aggravation of weather conditions and maritime agitation. IPMA puts five districts of the continent in orange warning.
The state of tempo em Portugal continental can be affected from Saturday by the passage of post-tropical depression Gabrielle, that has been affecting the Azores since Thursday.
The National Maritime Authority (AMN) warned the aggravation of meteorological conditions and maritime agitation on the continent, from Saturday morningfollowing the Gabrielle Storm, advising the adoption of self -defense measures.
“The prediction of the state of the sea points to a considerable aggravation of the weather conditions and maritime agitation in mainland Portugal from 06:00 Tomorrow [sábado]”, Until“ at noon on Sunday, September 28”Read in a statement of maritime authority.
According to the note, the maritime agitation “will be characterized by a ripple from the west quadrant, with a significant height that could reach the seven meters and a maximum height of 12 metroswith an average period varying between six and 12 seconds. ”
“They are expected wind from the southern quadrant, with an average intensity of up to 85 km/he gusting to 150 km/h”He adds.
In the face of these predictions, AMN and Navy advise “the entire maritime community and the general population for care To have, either in the preparation of a trip to the sea, and when they are in the sea or in coastal zones, ”namely“ reinforcing the mooring and maintaining a tight surveillance of the moved and fused vessels ”.
Authorities also recommend “avoiding tours of the sea or in areas exposed to maritime agitation, which are an example of port protection jetties, cliffs or beaches, avoiding being surprised by a wave.”
Another advice goes through “not practicing the activity of playful fishing, especially with the cliffs and rumbling zones often affected by the surrounding waves, always being aware that under these conditions the sea can easily reach seemingly secure zones.”
The forecasts pointed to the tropical cyclone Gabrielle passed the Azores as category 1 hurricane, but became Post-tropical storm.
Orange warning
The Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) raised to orange warning five districts of the continent due to the forecast of strong maritime agitation expected in the domingo, and put four under yellow warning from Saturday.
In previous information, the IPMA realized that the districts of Faro, Setúbal, Lisbon, Leiria and Beja They were going to be under yellow warning between 03:00 and 15:00 Sunday, but in their latest note raised to orange the warning in these five districts.
According to the IPMA, the orange warning, the second most severe of a three scale, was determined due to the forecast of strong western/southwest waves with 5 to 6 meters, and may reach 11 meters maximum.
These five districts will also be under yellow warning on Saturday from 18:00.
From 18:00 on Saturday, the districts of Aveiro, Coimbra, Braga and Porto They are under yellow warning, also due to the sea agitation, predicting western/southwest waves with 4 and 5 meters, moving to waves from northwest.
The yellow warning in these four districts will be in force until 09:00 on Sunday.
The Tropical Gabrielle cyclone, which has hit the Azores in the last few hours, now heading to the continent, predicting on Saturday rain accompanied occasionally by thunder, on the west coast.
“Thus, from the end of the 27th [sábado]on the western coast, periods of rain or sweeteners, which may be occasionally accompanied by thunderstorm, extending to the remaining territory, especially to the center and south ”, on Sunday, reads the IPMA note.
IPMA added that, additionally, it is expected “an increase in the intensity of the vento in the highlands and on the coast, as well as the maritime agitation ”.
Disabled plans
The Regional Government has decreed for the period between 18:00 on Thursday and 6:00 pm today, with the closure of services and several prohibitions, for the western and central groups, but the end of this situation has already been decreed, before the expected time. Public schools and services remain, however, closed.
The municipalities of the islands of the central and western groups of the Azores have already begun to Disable Municipal Emergency Planswhich had activated due to the passage of the Gabrielle Tropical Cyclone.
The 12 municipalities of the islands of the Central (Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Faial and Pico) and Western (Flores and Corvo) groups, the most affected by the passage of the post-tropical storm by the archipelago, had activated their municipal emergency plans.
In its official pages on social networks, the city councils of Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória, Terceira Island, Horta, Faial Island, Madalena, Pico Island, and Candles, on São Jorge Island, reported that they disabled emergency plans, between morning and early afternoon.
O most critical period It occurred between 03:00 and 09:00 local (another hour in Lisbon), with higher incidence in the Graciosa, Faial and Third Islands.
The islands of the central and western groups were under red warning (the most severe on a scale of three), due to precipitation, wind and maritime agitation.
Azorean civil protection recorded 196 Occurrences In the archipelago, without injuries, and it was necessary to resolve 16 people.
In a statement, the Horta City Council revealed that only in Faial Island, 52 occurrences were registered and six people resolved, in an operation that involved 123 human resources, supported by 38 vehicles, from all Civil Protection Agents. ”
The municipality of Madalena, on Pico Island, reported that the storm caused 12 occurrences in the county.
“The parish of São Caetano was the most affected by the storm, registering three occurrences, one of them high complexity, which affected 16 dwellings. In the flags, Madalena and São Mateus, there is also registration of damage to infrastructure and falling trees,” reads in the statement.
Already in Praia da Vitória, on Terceira Island, the municipality advanced that “23 occurrences and two people were registered, in a operation that involved 37 municipal human resources, supported by various equipment and other civil protection agents of the county”.
The municipality decided to keep until 17:00 today the ban on parking in the Poço da Areia and circulation in the marginal of Praia da Vitória and the marginal of the cookies.
