On Wednesday, November 11, Storm Charles made a direct impact on mainland Portugal, unleashing a wave of severe winds and torrential rain. This natural disaster led to widespread school closures, significant flight cancellations across the nation, and even the postponement of an international technology conference taking place in Lisbon. Meanwhile, neighboring Spain also raised alerts and initiated the emergency evacuation of thousands of its residents.
Reports from various media outlets indicate that Storm Charles, which passed over Madeira Island on Tuesday, generated wind gusts reaching up to 130 kilometers per hour. By the time the storm made landfall on the Atlantic coast of mainland Portugal on Wednesday, some regions experienced gusts exceeding 120 kilometers per hour.
Prior to the arrival of Storm Charles, Portugal had already been affected by a previous storm named Bruna, which began unleashing heavy rainfall on November 8. This earlier storm had saturated the soil and caused localized flooding on several roadways.
Portugal’s meteorological agency issued a red alert—the highest level of warning—for eight regions, including the capital city of Lisbon. In response to the storm’s impending arrival, the Portuguese government declared a state of emergency. However, when the storm finally made landfall, its intensity was slightly less severe than anticipated.
Meteorologists explained that the center of the storm had split into two parts while over the Atlantic, leading to a reduction in its strength by the time it reached the southern Algarve region.
Despite the storm’s diminished intensity, it still significantly disrupted transportation and social activities throughout the country. The fierce winds and heavy rainfall resulted in the cancellation of over 300 flights, while Lisbon’s second ring road and multiple highway tunnels were forced to close due to severe flooding, leading to widespread traffic congestion.
In an unprecedented move, the Portuguese government closed around 8,000 schools nationwide on Wednesday as a precautionary measure—this marked the first instance in recent memory where a nationwide school closure was enacted due to a storm warning.
The 2026 Web Summit, a major technology conference set to take place in Lisbon and expected to attract approximately 70,000 attendees, canceled all its scheduled events for the day. Additionally, hundreds of supermarkets, businesses, and non-essential public services suspended operations in the face of the storm’s unpredictability.
Learning from the backlash faced earlier this year for its delayed response to Storm Kristin, Portuguese authorities took proactive measures this time, deploying 1,100 national guardsmen and a large number of emergency personnel to areas prone to flooding and landslides. The authorities repeatedly urged residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.
Earlier, as Storm Charles impacted Madeira Island, it caused localized flooding and uprooted trees. A particularly alarming incident saw a man swept away by floodwaters while in his garage, but fortunately, emergency responders were able to rescue him. So far, the storm has not resulted in any reported fatalities.
Looking ahead, meteorologists expect Storm Charles to shift eastwards, potentially affecting Spain. In the central-western province of Ávila, where reservoirs face the risk of overflowing, over 3,000 residents have already been evacuated as a precautionary measure against flooding.