The captaincy of the Port of Funchal today extended until 06:00 on Wednesday the strong sea disturbance warning for the Madeira archipelago issued on Monday.
The warning is based on forecasts from the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) on the general state of the weather (wind and sea).
The regional maritime authority says that on the south coast the waves will temporarily reach up to 5.5 meters, while in the northern part of the island they will stay at 3.5 meters.
The wind on the coast will be from the south/southwest, “very fresh to strong, sometimes very strong until the end of the morning”, and visibility “good to moderate, sometimes weak until the end of the afternoon”.
The captaincy indicates that mooring and surveillance of moored and anchored vessels should be stepped up.
It also advises against walking by the sea or in areas exposed to sea waves – harbor protection jetties, cliffs or beaches – to avoid being surprised by a wave.
Recreational fishing should not be practiced, “especially near cliffs and cliff areas frequently hit by breaking waves, always bearing in mind that in these conditions the sea can easily reach apparently safe areas”.
The south coast and mountainous regions of the island of Madeira are today under an orange weather warning, the second most serious on a scale of three, due to the forecast of rain and strong wind, according to the IPMA.
Mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Region of Madeira are being affected by depression Irene, with strong winds, heavy rain and sea turbulence until the end of the day on Wednesday.
The orange warning for rain is in force until 3pm today and for wind until 12pm, with gusts of 120 kilometers per hour forecast for the south coast and mountainous areas and 90 kilometers per hour for the north coast.
The IPMA has also placed the south coast under an orange warning due to sea turbulence, with waves of five to 5.5 meters expected, with a maximum height of up to 10 meters between 09:00 and 15:00 today. The warning will change to yellow between 15:00 today and 12:00 on Wednesday.
The island of Porto Santo is under a yellow warning for heavy rain (until 15:00 today), wind (until 18:00 today) and sea turbulence (until 12:00 on Wednesday).
The IPMA issues an orange warning whenever there is a “meteorological situation of moderate to high risk, and a yellow warning when there is a risk situation for certain activities dependent on the meteorological situation.
