Severe Weather Warning Issued as Storm Charles Approaches Portugal and Spain

Meteorological services in Portugal and Spain have issued orange-level weather warnings as a new Atlantic depression, named Charles, approaches Madeira and the Iberian Peninsula. According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) and Spain's State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), the storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall, coastal swells, and wind gusts of up to 120 kilometres per hour starting late Tuesday in Madeira and extending to the mainland on Wednesday.

Forecast models from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the Global Forecast System (GFS) indicate that the storm formed at lower Atlantic latitudes and will track between the northern Canary Islands and Madeira. Data suggests the core of the system could make landfall on the Iberian Peninsula either through the Gulf of Cadiz or along the Portuguese coast between Sines and Cabo Carvoeiro. Spanish weather authority Aemet identified Wednesday as the period of peak intensity, with unsettled conditions persisting into Thursday.

In the Madeira archipelago, heavy weather is forecast from Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning, with rain accumulations expected to exceed 100 millimetres over a 12-hour period in mountainous regions. Wind speeds on the island are expected to reach between 80 and 100 kilometres per hour, with peak gusts of 130 kilometres per hour on high ground, while southern coasts face waves between 3.5 and 4.5 metres. On the Portuguese mainland, conditions are set to deteriorate from late Wednesday morning, bringing wind gusts of 100 to 120 kilometres per hour and sea swells of up to six metres south of Cabo Carvoeiro.

Charles is the third named storm of the 2026/2027 Atlantic season, following Adam and Bruna. The current system arrives while parts of the region are still recovering from depression Bruna, which caused localized flooding, forced the cancellation of dozens of flights at Funchal airport, left ten people homeless, and left one person missing in Madeira over the weekend. IPMA noted that Bruna remains an independent system that will sit nearly stationary to the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula until Friday, while the Azores archipelago is expected to remain outside the path of Charles.

In response to the forecast, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) in Portugal released safety advisories urging residents to take precautionary measures. Authorities instructed the public to avoid coastal zones and exposed areas, clear municipal and private rainwater drainage systems, and secure loose outdoor items such as scaffolding, garden furniture, and balcony objects. Civil protection officials also advised drivers to reduce speeds due to surface water risks and warned against travelling near wooded areas, retaining walls, or entering flooded roads.

Written by Freya Stensrud freya.stensrud@alpineweekly.com