Portugal’s National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) recorded 784 weather-related incidents between midnight and midday this Wednesday, as heavy rain and strong winds battered the country.
The Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimão is expected to draw around 170,000 spectators to the Algarve International Circuit this weekend, as Miguel Oliveira takes his final bow in MotoGP on home soil.
Mainland Portugal is bracing for a sharp deterioration in weather conditions from Tuesday, with widespread rain, “at times heavy”, expected to be accompanied by thunder and hail across much of the country.
Rui Cristina, the new Mayor of Albufeira, vowed on Monday that he would not govern “from behind closed doors”, but “out on the streets, face to face with people”. Speaking shortly after his swearing-in, he pledged to build bridges with the opposition, a spirit of cooperation already signalled when Luna Silva (Chega) was elected president of the Municipal Assembly with cross-party support. Cristina also made his first major commitment: within his first year in office, 12,000 medical consultations will be provided to residents without a family doctor, in collaboration with the local social sector.
The Inspectorate-General of Health Activities (IGAS) has opened an inquiry into the shocking case of an INEM helicopter in the Algarve, which has been out of service for weeks.
Quarteira will host a full-scale emergency exercise this Wednesday, 5 November, simulating an earthquake followed by a tsunami. The drill will see the activation of the seven sound towers installed across the parish, and local residents are encouraged to take part.
The Minister for Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, acknowledged today that the closure of the Aljezur International School, which took place last week, “took far too long to be implemented, unfortunately.”
The Portuguese Government is set to cut more than €200 million in spending on medicines and clinical consumables, according to an explanatory note for the 2026 State Budget, which also foresees a €136 million reduction in goods and services expenditure.
