IPMA places seven areas under orange alert due to disturbances at sea

Seven areas of the continent will be under an orange warning on Saturday due to rough seas forecast. Waves from the northwest are expected to be between 5 and 6 metres, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) said.

The areas of Porto, Viana do Castelo, Lisbon, Leiria, Aveiro, Coimbra and Braga start with a yellow warning from 9pm today until 6am Saturday, which then turns orange until 9pm.

These seven areas are then again placed under a yellow warning from 21:00 Saturday until 00:00 Sunday, also due to the waves.

The IPMA has also issued a yellow warning for rough seas in the districts of Beja, Faro and Setúbal from 09:00 Saturday until 00:00 Sunday.

An orange warning is issued by IPMA whenever there is a “moderate to high risk meteorological situation” and a yellow warning when there is a risk situation for certain activities depending on the meteorological situation.

The Navy and the National Maritime Authority (ANM) have warned the public and maritime community to be vigilant due to the forecast of strong waves that could reach 13 meters.

The two authorities said in a statement that the wind and sea forecast indicated worsening weather conditions and rough seas on the west coast of mainland Portugal until 00:00 on Sunday.

The Navy and Maritime Department are asking people to avoid walking near the sea, engage in recreational activities in areas prone to rough seas, and strengthen the mooring of moored vessels.

Sea conditions will be characterized by waves coming from the northwest, with significant heights that can reach seven meters and a maximum height of 13 meters, and average wind intensity that can reach 56 kilometers per hour (km/h). It is noted that gusts can reach 101 km/h.