Parts of eastern Algarve blanketed by hailstones

AlcoutimCarRiverThe monumental thunderstorm that crashed through the Algarve on Sunday left parts of the Serra do Caldeirão covered in a white blanket of hailstones.
 
After a sunny Sunday morning, the skies darkened as torrents of rain, lightning and thunder were complimented by prolonged periods of hail.

Faro's snail festival is back

caracoisIt’s that time of the year again and a chance to visit Faro’s now famous Snail Festival.
 
The location is the Jardim da Alameda, in Faro, from May 24 to 27.

Paula Amorim - latest contender to buy Herdade da Comporta

comportaestateThe president of the Amorim group has formed a consortium with Claude Berda’s real estate company, Vanguard Properties, to buy Herdade da Comporta.
 
Described as a ‘race’ to buy the sprawling estate, once the jewell in the Espírito Santo Group crown, Paula Amorim is in the arena with Oakvest, controlled by the British businessman Mark Holyoake and includes the involvement of the French aristocrat, Louis-Albert de Broglie.

Tender launched for Tavira's new bridge

TaviratempBridgeTavira really is going to have a new bridge over the Rio Gilão as the official tender was been published in the Diário da República, on May 15.
 
The start of the work, which is scheduled to take 500 days, will be after the 2018 summer tourist season.

Angolan State-owned bank reports €4.3 billion black hole

BPCAngolaIt’s déjà vu all over again with the largest bank in Angola, State-owned BPC, reporting a gaping black hole in its 2017 year-end accounts.
 
A loss of $5.2 billion (€4.3 billion) has been reported, mainly due to its customers failing to repay loans, thus creating the second worst loss in Angola’s banking history.

Portugal fails to upgrade Vehicle Inspection Centres with new EU safety rules

lorryBrussels has given Portugal two months to transpose a series of rules that improve the standard for the annual inspection of automobiles - or else.
 
The European Commission insisted that Portugal’s government gets to grips with transposing the ‘Automotive Technical Inspection Package’ and will appeal to the Court of Justice if this has not happened within two months.

Plastic greenhouses 'out of control' in Costa Vicentina Natural Park

EstufasEnvironmental organisation, ZERO, has analysed a report on the growth of intensive agriculture in the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park and concludes that it is out of control.
 
ZERO has seen a report from the General Inspectorate of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Spatial Planning relating to the control procedures, inspection and the halting and reversal of illegal agricultural activity that is meant to be carried out by the Institute of Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).

Only two Councils say they will hit May 31st 'scrub cleaning' deadline

fireforestOnly two of Portugal Councils will manage to have cleared scrub from public land as well as ensuring that private landowners comply with the new scrub cleaning laws by the end of May deadline.
 
Of the 189 municipal areas at ‘high fire risk’ - according to the ICNF - only 13 Councils will have cleared their public land by the end of the month. Not one of these Councils is in the Algarve but Silves will be close.