Portugal: Lisbon is on “red alert” after the floods

Strong rainfall in the Portuguese capital today, flooding underground tunnels, sweeping away cars, forcing authorities to suspend bus and tram services and close some main roads.

The Lisbon mayor’s office put the city on a “red” severe weather warning at about 6.30am and called on residents to stay indoors and avoid travel to the capital at the mouth of the Tagus river.

From midnight the response services emergencies reported 275 incidents in Lisbon and the neighboring city of Setúbal, among flooded roads, tunnels and train stations.

The head of the Civil Protection Service, Andre Fernandez, told a news conference that “it will not be easy” to return to normalcy, as the rains are likely to intensify.

The mayor’s office announced that the city’s buses and trams are not operating, the subway is not fully operational and some train stations are inaccessible because they are flooded.

Adverse weather conditions they were paralyzed last Wednesday the metropolitan area of ​​the capital, while one person lost his life in a flooded basement.

Heavy rains also occurred in other parts of the country today with the meteorological service IPMA declaring red alert in the central district of Portalegre.

“Today is a day to stay at home, work from home, something like during the pandemic. It’s the only way to help those who work to help us on the roads,” IPMA head Miguel Miranda told SIC television.

Lisbon’s municipal authorities have been criticized for they failed over the years to build infrastructure to prevent flooding. Mayor Carlos Moedas said that work will soon begin on the construction of a five-kilometer drainage tunnel.

RES-EMP

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