Storm Dorota is raging over the Canary Islands and Madeira, bringing strong winds and heavy rain. Flooding occurred in many places and buildings were damaged. Continental Portugal is also at risk of violent weather.
On Monday, the weather took its toll on the inhabitants of the Canary Islands. About 9,500 households were left without electricity in Tenerife, and local services had to intervene dozens of times. Most of the calls concerned fallen branches, flooding and impassable roads due to landslides. The strongest wind gusts exceeded 100 kilometers per hour.
In the city of Las Palmas on Gran Canaria, a storm knocked down a palm tree that fell onto the road in the city center. No one was injured.
Lessons canceled
Local authorities in the Canary Islands have decided to suspend classes in schools due to the dangerous weather. This was the case, among others, in the city of Yaiza, where several establishments were closed until further notice. The authorities of the Teguise commune also recommended refraining from traveling by school bus.
Several hundred firefighter interventions
On Tuesday, Dorothea headed towards the Portuguese island of Madeira. The greatest losses in Madeira occurred in the commune of Santa Cruz, in the southeast of the island, where the fire brigade intervened several hundred times, mainly due to flooding. High waves also hit the streets of the Azores island of Sao Miguel, where there were numerous floods. Several dozen people were evacuated. Local authorities appealed to residents not to try to save cars in flooded areas.
Downpours and storms are also forecast in continental Portugal. The Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) has issued yellow alerts for the northern regions of the country, which will be valid on Wednesday and Thursday.
PAP, Canarian Weekly, Atlantico Hoy, JM-Madeira
Main photo source: Bomberos de LPA/X