The captaincy of the Port of Funchal has extended the bad weather warning for Madeira’s coastline until 06:00 on Friday due to forecasts of very strong wind, sea turbulence and poor visibility.
The warning is based on indications from the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), which has placed the archipelago under a yellow warning for wind, rain and sea turbulence, which is aggravated to orange in mountainous areas and the south coast of the island of Madeira from 15:00 today until 03:00 on Friday.
According to the regional maritime authority, the wind is expected to be “at times very strong during the afternoon, temporarily increasing to strong to very strong during the night”, and visibility at sea “temporarily poor to bad”.
As for the swell, forecasts point to waves of around five meters on the north coast, with up to four meters on the south.
In view of this weather situation, the captaincy recommends taking extra care “both when preparing to go to sea and when at sea or in coastal areas”.
Reinforcing mooring and close monitoring of boats, avoiding trips to risky areas and recreational fishing are some of the instructions given.
So far, traffic at Madeira airport has been normal, but in view of the weather conditions, TAP canceled some of its planned flights on Wednesday.
According to the ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal website, three arrivals to Madeira from Lisbon were canceled (10:10, 13:50 and 17:10), as were the departures scheduled for 11:00, 14:40, 18:25 and 21:15 to the capital.
The Regional Civil Protection Service has issued warnings to the population and issued a set of precautionary recommendations in view of the adverse weather forecast for the region with the passage of depression Karlotta.
The Regional Civil Protection Service has therefore recommended that travel to the areas most affected “by this type of weather situation” should be avoided.
Adopting a defensive driving style, not driving through areas at risk of landslides and ensuring that rainwater drainage systems are unobstructed are other recommendations from the regional authority.
