Fifteen districts in Portugal are on alert due to wind, rain, snow and angry seas.
Portugal’s weather institute, the IPMA, has posted a red alert along the shoreline of Lisbon and Leiria districts as waves crash into the mainland.
According to the information available on the IPMA website, between 10.00 and 14.00 today the waves along this stretch of coast reached 7.5 metres in height, triggering the warning and ensuring the Civil Protection service is on standby.
Already over 1,000 energy workers have been busy repairing cables that have been cut or damaged by falling trees to ensure supplies are back on before Christmas Day.
Other districts, mainly in northern and central mainland Portugal, are all on orange alert due to forecasts of fierce winds, rain, snow and strong seas.
The second most serious notice due to heavy rain is for Bragança, Viseu, Guarda, Vila Real, Viana do Castelo, Castelo Branco, Aveiro, Coimbra and Braga. Most of this orange warning is for between 09.00 and 21.00 today, Christmas Eve.
For Christmas Day the IPMA has given orange notices due to expected snow below 1,000 metres in Bragança, Viseu, Guarda, Vila Real, Viana do Castelo, Castelo Branco, Coimbra and Braga.
The waves and strong wind have meant an orange warning for Oporto, Aveiro, Braga and Coimbra.
Sharp-eyed readers will notice the absence of the Faro region in these stern warnings as the Algarve escapes most of the really rough stuff.
There are already strong winds with strong waves across the Algarve as well as in Lisbon, Leiria, Beja and Setúbal predicted between 15.00 on Tuesday and 12.00 on Thursday.
The expected rain should hit the Algarve early on Christmas Eve and last until Christmas morning with intermittent rain all day.
