Portugal cancels more than 300 flights due to Storm Charles
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Al Jazeera
Illustrative image · karim desouki · Pexels · Licence PexelsStorm Charles led to the cancellation of more than 300 flights in Portugal and the closure of thousands of schools and public services. Gusts reached 120 km/h in some regions, according to the IPMA weather agency, but damage remained limited.
More than 300 flights to and from Portugal were cancelled on Wednesday as Storm Charles passed through, while heavy rain and winds did not cause serious damage on the mainland, according to Al Jazeera.
Around 8,000 schools cancelled classes, a measure described as unprecedented in recent memory in the country. Four international airports, hundreds of supermarkets and non-essential public services also ceased operations, while Lisbon’s Web Summit, which brings together around 70,000 people, cancelled events scheduled for Wednesday.
Portugal’s weather agency IPMA recorded gusts exceeding 120 km/h in some areas. The red alert level, which had covered more than half the country, remained in force only in the Algarve in the afternoon. Charles had previously hit the Portuguese island of Madeira on Tuesday with winds of 130 km/h, according to Al Jazeera.
The Portuguese government had strengthened preventive measures after criticism of its response to Storm Kristin in January, which brought down thousands of trees and caused significant material damage. In February, a 70-year-old man died in Alentejo after floodwaters swept away his vehicle following Storm Leonardo, Al Jazeera also reports.
