LISBON, Nov 10 (Reuters) – Portugal’s government has ordered schools and non-essential public services to shut on Wednesday, advising that people stay indoors wherever possible, as Storm Charles threatened to bring torrential rains and wind gusts of up to 150 kph (93 mph).
“There will be very tough moments when rescue efforts will be needed,” Interior Minister Luis Neves said, announcing the measures that included putting all emergency services and army units on alert for what he said was likely to be “an absolutely exceptional day”.
Since Sunday, Portugal and neighbouring Spain have already been pummelled by heavy rains brought by Storm Bruna, with flooding reported in several areas.
In January and February this year, the Iberian peninsula was hit by a succession of storms that destroyed or damaged thousands of homes, washed away roads and caused severe economic losses.
About 3,000 people were being evacuated from the town of Piedralaves in Spain’s central province of Ávila on Tuesday as authorities warned of the risk of overflow at the Horcajo dam. They said no injuries or disruptions to electricity or telephone services had been reported so far.
Spain’s weather service AEMET warned that parts of Cáceres and Ávila provinces could receive more than 120 mm (4.72 inches) of rain in 12 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, raising the risk of flooding. It also warned of hurricane-strength winds exceeding 130 kph on the Canary Island of La Palma on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Andrei Khalip, additional reporting by Emma Pinedo; editing by Charlie Devereux, Kirsten Donovan)
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