Nore thatball walking trails are closed and its not recommended to go to the mountains, fines will be issued for those needing rescue.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has placed the northern coast of Madeira and the island of Porto Santo under a red warning due to strong sea agitation between 06:00 and 15:00 on Monday. The red warning is the most serious on a scale of four.
According to IPMA, the warning will start to be yellow from 9:00 pm today, due to forecasts of waves on the north-west coast between four and five meters.
The warning is then raised to orange from midnight until 6:00 am on Monday with waves between seven and 8.5 meters, which could reach 14 meters in height.
From that time onwards it will turn red with the forecast of waves reaching a maximum height of 16 metres, then decreasing to orange at 00:00 on Tuesday.
Regarding the wind situation, the IPMA placed the northern part of the island under an orange warning between 03:00 and 15:00 on Monday.
In the case of the island of Porto Santo, it is under a yellow warning between 9:00 pm today and midnight on Monday, changing to orange until 6:00 am, and being aggravated to red until 3:00 pm due to the agitation with waves in the same order of magnitude as the north coast of Madeira.
Due to these weather conditions, Porto Santo Line, concessionaire of Lobo Marinho, the ship that provides maritime connections between the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, the trips scheduled for Monday, namely the departure from Funchal at 08:00 and the return at 18:00 were cancelled.
On its official website, the concessionaire justifies the cancellation with “the intensity of the wind” and the need to guarantee “the safety of passengers and the ship”.
The Madeira Regional Civil Protection Service also issued a warning to the population and warned of the need to adopt preventive measures due to forecasts of rough seas, strong winds and precipitation due to the passage of Storm Lawrence.
According to this authority, it is expected that branches or trees will fall, that infrastructure associated with communications and energy networks will be affected, in addition to loose objects being dragged onto roads, and that mobile infrastructures will come loose due to strong winds, which could cause accidents involving vehicles or people in traffic.
There may also be overtopping along the coastline, formation of sheets of water on the pavements, occurrence of flooding, drainage difficulties in urban systems and accidents on the coast.
Madeira Civil Protection recommends taking action to ensure that rainwater drainage systems are unblocked and that inert materials and other objects that could be dragged or create obstacles to the free flow of water are removed, and that loose structures, namely scaffolding, placards and other suspended structures, are properly secured.
It also advises “special care” when moving around and staying near wooded areas, being aware of the possibility of branches and trees falling, due to stronger winds, taking extra care when moving around the coastline and areas historically more vulnerable to coastal flooding, avoiding moving around and staying in these places and avoiding travelling to affected areas or unnecessary movements.
Do not drive through areas with degraded buildings, due to the risk of landslides, and take special care in mountainous areas, exposed slopes and coastal areas. These are also on the list of suggestions.