Storm Celine expected to hit Portugal with heavy rain and storms this weekend

A cold front associated with Storm Celine, is expected to affect mainland Portugal from this Saturday afternoon, October 28.

As reported by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), by around 1 pm this afternoon, Celine: ‘should be centred west of the British Isles’.

As a result: ‘Persistent rain is expected, sometimes heavy and occasionally accompanied by thunderstorms, especially in Minho and Douro Litoral’, the experts explained in a statement.

The cold front is expected to move south in the next few days

From Saturday afternoon, the ‘cold front will begin to move south. That will cause: ‘persistent rain, with sometimes heavy showers accompanied by thunderstorms, in the Central region during the 29th (Sunday) and to the Southern region between the afternoon of the 29th and the early morning of the 30th (Monday)’.

The IPMA also predicted: ‘wind gusts of up to 75 km/h on the coast and in the highlands, especially in the North region, accompanied by sea agitation with waves from the northwest of up to six metres in height, which should gradually decrease in height during the afternoon.

‘It is expected that the Celine depression will have an impact, albeit indirect, on the weather in the Madeira archipelago’, the IPMA indicated.

They informed that: ‘the cold front associated with this depression is expected to reach the archipelago’ on Sunday, with ‘showers that are expected to be locally strong and persistent’.

Due to this meteorological situation, yellow and orange warnings have been issued for rain, sea turbulence and wind, while advising: ‘precautionary measures for situations of vulnerability to the state of the weather, the monitoring of weather forecasts and the updating of warnings’.

Where will yellow or orange warnings for rain be in force?

Orange warnings for rain were issued for the districts of Braga, Porto and Viana do Castelo. These will remain in force from 9 am today until 3pm on Sunday, due to persistent and sometimes heavy rain, which could be accompanied by thunderstorms, preceded by a yellow warning from 6:17 pm on Friday.

Yellow warnings for rain were also issued for the districts of Aveiro, Coimbra, Viseu, Vila Real. They will be in place from from 3 pm today until midday on Sunday. In Bragança the warning is in force from 6 pm on Saturday to 3 am on Sunday.

Castelo Branco, Lisbon, Leiria, Setúbal, Santarém have similar warnings in force from 3 am on Sunday to midnight, while in Beja, Évora, Faro and Portalegre, they run from 3 pm on Sunday until 6 am on Monday 30.

Which districts will have orange alerts for rough seas?

Orange alerts for rough seas will be in place for the districts of Beja, and Faro from 18:17 pm on Friday to 6 pm today. In Setúbal it runs from 18:17 pm on Friday to 00:00 on Sunday.

Aveiro, Braga, Coimbra, Leiria, Lisbon, Porto and Viana do Castelo are under a yellow warning from midday today until 6 am on Sunday due to northwesterly waves expected to reach between four and five metres in height.

In the districts of Aveiro, Braga, Porto and Viana do Castelo, yellow warnings were issued due to: “southwest wind with gusts of up to 75 km/h in the coastal strip and gusts of up to 90 km/h in the highlands’,

An orange warning was issued for the Madeira archipelago for rain on the North coast, South coast, Porto Santo and mountainous regions.

This will be in place from 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday, due to ‘sometimes heavy rain, which can be accompanied by thunderstorms’. It was preceded by yellow warnings, also due to rain, sometimes heavy, from 3 am on Sunday.

The orange warning is issued by IPMA whenever there is a ‘moderate to high risk meteorological situation’ and the yellow warning when there is a risk situation for certain activities dependent on the meteorological situation, as reported by sicnoticias.pt.