Tropical cyclone Gabrielle has made landfall in the Azores, hitting the central group of islands particularly hard with strong winds, torrential rainfall, and a heightened risk of flooding. Nearly 200 incidents have been recorded, and 16 people were forced to relocate due to the storm’s impact.
Now downgraded to a post-tropical storm as the islands take the brunt of its force, Gabrielle is on track to reach mainland Portugal, with effects expected from late Saturday.
The IPMA has issued an orange weather warning for five mainland districts — Faro, Setúbal, Lisbon, Leiria and Beja — in anticipation of rough seas on Sunday. Additionally, from 6pm Saturday, the districts of Aveiro, Coimbra, Braga and Porto will be under a yellow alert for similar maritime conditions, with waves expected to reach between four and five metres from the west and southwest.
“From late Saturday, periods of rain or showers are forecast along the western coast, possibly accompanied by thunderstorms, spreading across the rest of the country on Sunday, particularly affecting central and southern regions,” the IPMA said in a statement.
The effects of Cyclone Gabrielle began to be felt across the archipelago around 10pm on Thursday, with the central islands - Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, Faial and Graciosa - bearing the brunt of the storm. According to the Azores’ Civil Protection service, there have been no reported injuries so far.
"Most of the reported incidents are related to fallen trees, collapsed structures, and damage to roofing,” stated Civil Protection authorities. Of the 196 recorded incidents, 136 have already been resolved.
In contrast, the eastern group - São Miguel and Santa Maria - experienced a calm night with no significant occurrences.
Graciosa island's airport sustained minor damage when a waterproof panel became detached. However, the regional government has confirmed that the structural integrity of the building remains intact.
“There was a detachment of a waterproofing sheet, but this does not compromise the structure of the terminal. SATA already has a technical solution ready, which will be implemented in the coming days, weather permitting,” a source from the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure told journalists.
The terminal, which had been closed as a precaution since Thursday, reopened at 1pm local time (2pm Lisbon time) on Friday. Repair works will proceed without affecting air operations.
The regional government has lifted the state of alert, which had been in effect until 6pm local time on Friday. Despite this, schools and non-essential public services remained closed across the western and central island groups throughout the day.
“Given that the conditions which led to the implementation of exceptional preventive measures are no longer present, it has been concluded that maintaining the alert status is no longer justified, as the critical period ended at 12 noon,” said the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service.
The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has since downgraded weather warnings across all islands. Several municipalities in the central and western groups have begun deactivating their emergency plans.
Local councils — including Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória (Terceira), Horta (Faial), Madalena (Pico), and Velas (São Jorge) — announced via official social media channels that their municipal emergency plans had been stood down between late morning and early afternoon.
After a series of flight cancellations on Friday morning, regional airline SATA has begun restoring its flight schedule, including transatlantic services. However, the route to Corvo island remains suspended due to ongoing high winds that exceed operational safety thresholds.
“If conditions continue to improve, we are prepared to resume all flights, with the exception of the service to Corvo,” the airline said in a statement to Lusa.
