The mountainous regions of Madeira Island woke up this Tuesday, the 3rd, covered in a white blanket, following the snowfall recorded during the early morning.
At Pico do Areeiro, the weather station located at the highest altitude in the region recorded an extreme minimum of -2.9 ºC at 05:00. At dawn, the instantaneous air temperature was -1.7 ºC.
The occurrence of precipitation, which in the highest points took the form of snow, contributed to the accumulation. Since midnight, the Pico do Areeiro station has recorded a total of 22.5 millimeters, with an hourly maximum of 10.3 millimeters per hour in the early morning.
In Chão do Areeiro, temperatures dropped to -1.2 ºC, remaining below zero at 8:00 AM, at -0.2 ºC.
According to the network of meteorological stations of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere in the archipelago, the highest minimum temperature was 12.7 ºC, recorded in Porto Moniz at 07:10. In Funchal/Observatory, the temperature dropped to 10.9 ºC at 02:30, in what was the coldest night of this Autumn/Winter.
While not unprecedented, it is rare for weather warnings of snowfall to be issued in Madeira. The warning from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere remains in effect until 6:00 PM.
Given the forecast of snow above 1,500 meters altitude, with the possibility of accumulation up to 10 centimeters, disruptions associated with ice formation and accumulation on roads are expected, which may result in restricted or closed roads, damage to structures or trees, and constraints on local supplies.