Portugal braces for storm Leonardo with heavy rain, 95 km/h winds and coastal waves up to 11 metres, days after deadly storm Kristin struck.
Portugal is preparing for a second powerful storm less than a week after Depression Kristin killed six people and left widespread destruction, with authorities urging residents to stockpile supplies for at least 72 hours.
Depression Leonardo is expected to make landfall on Tuesday afternoon, bringing prolonged heavy rain and wind gusts reaching 95 kilometres per hour in highland areas, the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere said.
The National Republican Guard issued detailed recommendations for emergency preparedness, including assembly of survival kits containing drinking water, three days of non-perishable food, torches, battery-operated radios, power banks, first aid supplies and waterproof document storage.
Authorities advised residents to avoid unstable trees, damaged structures and fallen power lines, exercise extreme caution when using heating systems, and operate generators exclusively outdoors to prevent toxic gas accumulation.
Storm to intensify Wednesday night
The frontal system associated with Leonardo will initially approach southern Portugal's Baixo Alentejo and Algarve regions on Tuesday before extending across the country on Wednesday, forecasters said.
The most severe conditions are expected during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, when accumulated rainfall and wind intensity will peak.
Nine districts including Viseu, Porto, Guarda and Braga were placed under orange alert until Tuesday evening due to snowfall above 800 to 1,000 metres. Ten coastal districts face orange warnings for northwest waves of five to six metres that could reach maximum heights of 11 metres.
Multiple districts will be under yellow warning for rain and wind at various times between Tuesday and Thursday, with gusts forecast to reach 70 to 80 kilometres per hour on the coast and 95 kilometres per hour in mountainous areas.
Azores face extreme conditions
The western islands of the Azores archipelago have been under red warning since Monday, the highest alert level issued only for extreme meteorological risk. The central and eastern island groups are under orange warning due to severe sea turbulence.
Wind gusts could reach 110 kilometres per hour in the western islands of Flores and Corvo and the central group including Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, Faial and Graciosa. The eastern islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria face gusts up to 100 kilometres per hour.
The Madeira archipelago will be under orange warning from 3 pm to 7 pm local time (4 pm to 8 pm CET) on Thursday for sea turbulence, with waves of five to seven metres expected and maximum heights potentially reaching 12 metres.
The new storm arrives as Portugal continues recovery efforts from Depression Kristin, which struck last week with winds reaching 202 kilometres per hour and killed six people across multiple districts.
Kristin broke Portugal's national wind speed record, previously set at 176.4 kilometres per hour during Storm Leslie in October 2018.
The storm left widespread damage including destroyed buildings, downed power lines and approximately 1 million customers without electricity at its peak.
