Felled trees across Greater Lisbon.Credit: Serviço Municipal de Protecção Civil da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa.
Storm Martinho unleashed belting rain and thunderous winds across mainland Portugal and Madeira on Wednesday and Thursday, March 19 and 20, causing sweeping damage.
The Greater Lisbon area bore the brunt, with several people sustaining injuries from falling branches and roof tiles, according to Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas. Between Thursday and Friday, Lisbon Civil Protection recorded 5,800 incidents nationwide, most in Greater Lisbon.
The storm felled trees and lamp posts, damaged buildings, and brought public transport to a halt. In Odivelas, high winds tore part of the roof off Bernardim Ribeiro Primary School, closing the facility and leaving 200 students without classes. Twenty-two roads in Lisbon were closed, and rail traffic over the iconic Ponte 25 de Abril bridge halted between Coina and Roma-Areeiro, not resuming until 7.25. The Cascais line remained closed all day Friday.
Beyond Lisbon, 35 per cent of serious incidents occurred there, followed by Setúbal (10 per cent) and over 300 each in Porto and Coimbra. In Lourinhã, 13 residents were rehoused after a roof collapse, a scene repeated elsewhere, including at Rio Ave Stadium in Vila do Conde. In Coimbra’s Oliveira do Hospital, a football stand partially collapsed. Power outages left 50,000 without electricity in Leiria, Coimbra, and Vila Real. In Madeira, falling branches injured two tourists in Funchal, with 51 incidents reported throughout the night.
Civil Protection warns of continued bad weather through Saturday, with rain, winds, and rough seas presenting a high risk of flooding. Interior Minister Margarida Blasco praised the efforts of 13,000 personnel from civil protection, police, firefighters, and local authorities, urging residents to heed safety instructions and stay at home and out of the path of Martinho.
