Hurricane Ophelia has passed by the Açores islands without damaging property or injuring anyone.
The Portuguese weather service has lifted warnings for the islands with the head of the regional Civil Protection service said today that there had been no serious consequences as Hurricane Ophelia passed by.
"During the early morning there were only four tree blown over, three in Ponta Delgada and one in Povoação on São Miguel," said Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Neves.
The official added that on Saturday, in the Central group of islands (Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial) five small events were logged and in the eastern group, there had been two small floods and the fall of a one tree.
The Civil Protection service boss added that personnel that had been on full alert in case Ophelia passed right overhead, had been stood down.
At mid-morning on Sunday, the category 2 hurricane already was 655 kilometres northeast of the Açores archipelago, leaving much improved weather in its wake as it now heads towards the British Isles.
On the mainland, the north, the Algarve and the Alentejo regions will have some rainfall and thunderstorms, but nothing like the 165 kmph winds at Ophelia’s centre.
The weather service’s warning for the districts of Faro, Beja, Évora and Setúbal is that between Monday pm and Tuesday pm, we should expect “periods of rain or showers, sometimes strong and accompanied by thunderstorms.”
Other weather sites give thunderstorm warnings only for the north of the country but all agree there should be some welcome rainfall in the southern part of Portugal as well as the north.
Temperatures in the Algarve will drop slightly, with maximums at around 25ºC. The wind will pick up over the next few days, especially in the North and Central regions.
On the plus side, bathers can expect sea temperatures of around 22 ºC along the Algarve coastline.
Ireland and UK threatened
The hurricane will have reduced to a ‘post-tropical storm’ as it approaches Ireland, Northern Ireland, western and northern areas of England, southern Scotland. Ophelia will have enough force to damage buildings, bring fierce sea conditions, power cuts and flooding.
Ophelia is the most powerful hurricane recorded this far east in the Atlantic and is the first since 1939 to travel so far north. It will arrive in Ireland on the 30th anniversary of the Great Storm of 1987.
Five counties in the west of Ireland are on red alert from Monday morning to early Tuesday according to the Irish Meteorological Service said, advising people to protect themselves and their property.
An average wind speeds of 80kmh with gusts of over 130kmh are expected in Ireland with eastern parts of Britain on yellow alert for Monday and Tuesday.
Comments