Portugal declared a nationwide state of alert for Wednesday, November 11, 2026, closing schools and non-essential public services as the storm Charles approached the country.
Emergency Measures and Closures
The state of alert runs through Wednesday, with the government ordering the suspension of all outdoor events and shutting educational establishments at all levels, including private institutions and universities, according to Observador. Public services outside of essential sectors are also closed for the day.
Minister of Internal Administration Luís Neves announced these emergency measures during a briefing at the headquarters of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) in Carnaxide, warning that the country would be put to the test during an absolute exception of a day.
Luís Neves, Minister of Internal Administration, told Observador, “It is going to be severe. It is a difficult day. I appeal to all Portuguese citizens and employers to show understanding. It is a day of absolute exception and it is necessary for us all to stay indoors to preserve the supreme good, which is life.” The minister also said that high tide was expected around 15h30, with winds pushing ocean water toward land and complicating drainage.
The National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection raised its special readiness state to level four, placing civil protection agents at maximum response capacity, as detailed by Observador.
Mário Silvestre, the National Commander for Emergency and Civil Protection, highlighted three major impacts expected from the storm: urban floods; fallen trees, branches, and mobile structures; and localized interruptions in electrical power and telecommunication services. Essential services such as urban hygiene, civil protection, sapper firefighters, municipal police, IT services, and animal protection continue to operate under leadership guidelines.
Red Warnings Cover Several Districts Amid Heavy Rain
The weather system entered the country with heavy rain and severe gales, with red warnings covering districts such as Leiria, Santarém, Lisboa, Setúbal, Portalegre, Évora, Beja, and Faro between 09h00 and 21h00 on Wednesday. Orange warnings for heavy rain were additionally issued for Bragança, Viseu, Porto, Guarda, Vila Real, Viana do Castelo, Castelo Branco, Aveiro, and Coimbra.
While meteorological models initially pointed toward extreme intensities, later observations indicated the system might track slightly weaker than expected, though local flooding and heavy downpours remained a significant threat, noted Luso Meteo. E-Redes reported that about two mil customers were without power during the early stages, a figure deemed normal for such weather conditions.
Municipalities Face Risks of Urban Floods
The Portuguese Environment Agency identified 101 municipalities facing risks of urban floods and rising river flows, with particular attention given to riverside zones, as reported by euronews.
José Pimenta Machado, president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), addressed major river basins, pointing out that the Lima basin storage level sat at 31% and the area downstream of the Aguieira dam in the Coimbra region sat at 54%, leaving manageable margins to receive expected water volumes.
José Pimenta Machado, president of the Portuguese Environment Agency, told euronews, “Attentive, but not particularly concerned.” Despite the warnings from the government and IPMA, the president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) wanted to convey a message of tranquility, highlighting that national water infrastructure is prepared to respond to the storm,” He reiterated, however, that the primary concern remained focused on urban floods and small streams.
In the Algarve, officials highlighted Faro, Albufeira, and Tavira as zones most vulnerable to overflowing streams and localized inundations, noted Sul Informação. In Coimbra, municipal authorities led by the Mayor, accompanied by Civil Protection Councillor Ricardo Lino, Municipal Civil Protection Coordinator Andreia Rodrigues, and Coimbra Sapper Firefighters Battalion Commander Paulo Palrilha, activated the municipal emergency plan and suspended non-essential public services.
Museums and Cultural Venues Close Due to Weather
Museums, cultural venues, and historical monuments managed by public and private entities closed their doors for the day, including sites under the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the MAAT, and Parques de Sintra-Monte da Lua, according to Diário de Notícias. Cultural spaces such as the Centro Multimeios de Espinho also canceled scheduled activities due to the severe weather advisories.
In the autonomous region of the Madeira archipelago, where red warnings took effect earlier, the Regional Civil Protection Service registered 130 occurrences linked to the storm by Wednesday morning, primarily involving mass movements, localized flooding, and fallen trees, according to Dnoticias. Santa Cruz led the affected municipalities with 36 occurrences, followed by Machico with 28 and Funchal with 24.