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A total of 99 occurrences, although without very serious effects, were recorded by Civil Protection between 00:00 and 10:00 this Friday, derived from the first effects of the storm. Dora passing through mainland Portugal until dawn on Sunday.
According to the journalist, the Commander of Assistance to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Command, Belo Costa, the adverse weather conditions of the storm Dora, which motivated the “special alert state” of the national device, so far it has not caused “anything significantly serious”, with only the fall of trees, light poles, posters and some landslides, all similar to “One day normal winter ”. In Porto, a falling tree interrupted the metro service between the Levada and Campainha stations in Gondomar.
This Civil Protection official pointed out four meteorological factors that justify the increased alert status, namely, “strong wind”, “maritime disturbances in all coastal districts”, “snowfall, especially in the north and interior of the country in areas of 700 meters of altitude ”and“ low temperature ”, which associated with the wind will cause“ thermal discomfort ”.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, Carlos Pereira, from the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), added that events related to snowfall were recorded in the districts of Viseu and Vila Real. There were also dozens of trees fallen by the wind in Viseu, Vila Real and Leiria, he said. There are records of snowfall in Fafe, Braga, Guimarães and Melgaço.
According to Carlos Pereira, the access roads to the central massif of the Serra da Estrela were closed due to snowfall. Traffic was prohibited in the sections Piornos / Cruce de Torre, Cruce de Torre / Cruce de Torre and Cruce de Torre / Lagoa Comprida, Lagoa Comprida / Sabugueiro, Sabugueiro / Cruce Gouveia / Penhas Douradas / Manteigas and Manteigas Covilhã, with no reopening forecasts .
According to the District Relief Operations Command (CDOS) of Viseu, National Roads (EN) 2 and 321 are closed due to snowfalls registered at dawn this Friday in the north of the district.
EN 321 cuts between Castro Daire and Cinfães, in the Montemuro mountains area, and EN2 between Castro Daire and Lamego, in Bigorne, “which are the highest points,” according to CDOS. “The snowplows work from six in the morning. There are sporadic situations of cars that cannot walk, but then, when the snowplows pass, they circulate normally, ”a source from the District Relief Operations Command told Lusa. S The same source said that it also snowed in other municipalities in the north of the district, such as Penedono, Moimenta da Beira, Tabuaço, Tarouca and Resende, but “there are no closed roads.”
Carlos Pereira also said that ANEPC is concerned about the forecast of severe maritime disturbances, which led the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) to issue a red warning to Lisbon and Leiria. For this reason, the ANEPC reiterates its alert due to the worsening of meteorological conditions, anticipating an increase in the intensity of the wind, rainfall, a decrease in temperature and an increase in the agitation of the sea on the west coast.
ANEPC recommends that the population guarantee the unblocking of storm drainage systems, adopt defensive driving, given the possibility of formation of layers of water and ice on the roads, avoid driving on roads with accumulation of snow and have Be careful when driving along the coast and riparian areas subject to rapid flooding.
Lisbon and Leiria with red warning from 12:00 h.
The IPMA placed the districts of Lisbon and Leiria under red alert, the most severe of a scale of four due to the forecast of severe maritime disturbances after the effects of the depression Dora in mainland Portugal. These two districts will be under red alert, the most serious of a scale of four, between 12 noon and 9 at night this Friday due to the agitation of the sea, forecasting northwest waves of 7 to 8 meters of significant height, They can reach a maximum height of 14 meters.
The red warning corresponds to an extremely dangerous weather situation. In this situation, IPMA recommends that people keep up to date with the evolution of meteorological conditions and follow the Civil Protection guidelines. Due to the strong maritime unrest, the IPMA also placed the coast of the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Coimbra, Setúbal, Beja and Faro, the north of Madeira and Porto Santo under an orange warning until 00:00 on Sunday.
The IPMA issued a yellow warning for the districts of Braga, Vila Real, Viana do Castelo, Porto, Bragança, Viseu, Guarda and Castelo Branco for snowfalls above 1,400 / 1,600 meters, gradually lowering the quota to 700/900 meters , until 6 a.m. on Sunday.
Under yellow alert (less severe) are the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Vila Real, Bragança, Viseu, Guarda and Castelo Branco due to the forecast of strong northwest wind, with gusts of up to 95 kilometers per hour in Highlands until 6am on Saturday.
The orange warning indicates a meteorological situation of moderate to high risk and the yellow warning is issued by the IPMA whenever there is a risk for certain activities depending on the meteorological situation.
Classes suspended in Montalegre and Vila Pouca de Aguiar
The snow that today painted several municipalities in the Vila Real district caused the closure of schools in Vila Pouca de Aguiar and Montalegre, and caused limitations in school transport in Boticas and Valpaços.
From the early hours of the morning, the Civil Protection and fire brigades are distributed throughout the highest areas of the Vila Real region in street cleaning and salt spreading operations so that the roads are passable.
The groups of schools of Montalegre and Vila Pouca de Aguiar decided to suspend classes this Friday before a long weekend. David Teixeira, deputy mayor of Montalegre, told the Lusa news agency that the students of the Dr. Bento da Cruz School Group will stay home today as a precaution and because the forecasts point to a worsening of the weather during the day.
In this group, approximately 700 students study, from basic education to high school, in schools located in Montalegre, Salto and Cabril. In Vila Pouca de Aguiar, according to a local authority source, teaching activities were also suspended.
In this municipality, there was no school transport from mountain areas, such as Alvão, Jales and Padrela, where the snowfall was more intense. From Alturas do Barroso and Sezelhe, in Boticas, the school buses did not get off this morning and, according to the mayor, Fernando Queiroga, there were also some difficulties in the teachers’ journey to that municipality. In this municipality, Civil Protection is on the ground from 5 in the morning to prevent access to the villages.
In Valpaços, there was some accumulation in the higher areas and on the border with Vila Pouca de Aguiar and Chaves, and around 100 students from some villages did not attend school due to limitations in the passage of buses run by the municipality . Also in this municipality, elements of Civil Protection and Infrastructures of Portugal carry out cleaning work on national and municipal roads.
The sources said that, if necessary, Civil Protection is prepared to support the Private Institutions of Social Solidarity (IPSS) in the delivery of medicines or meals to the elderly, in the field of home support services. Source GNR informed Lusa that the main roads in the region are passable, however, advising caution, especially in the area of Highway 24 (A24), between Vila Real and Vila Pouca de Aguiar, on the A7 and on the Main Route 4 (IP4), in the Serra do Marão area.
