Bad weather across Portugal continues to wreak havoc and the heavy rain and high winds are set to continue until tomorrow (Saturday) according to weather reports by the Instituto de Meteorologia, the national weather institute, although the best of the weather is expected in the south of Portugal.
December 2009 was the wettest of the century in Portugal, with the highest levels of rain ever recorded being found in Funchal, Madeira.
December also saw below average temperatures in Portugal and the low pressure system that affected the country during December led to unusually strong winds with gusts of more than 100km per hour being registered over 20 per cent of the month.
The Instituto de Meteorologia has also revealed that December 23 was the peak of the bad weather in December.
Preliminary results have revealed that wind speeds reached 220km per hour in some areas of the country with the worst affected areas being in the west of Portugal, this led to landslides, road closures and the destruction of property (see the Algarve Resident, edition January 1).
Meanwhile, in the north of the country the rain has been welcomed as it has helped to melt the snow which has been preventing more than 20,000 children from attending school.
At the time the Algarve Resident went to press this week. a further 3,000 children were still unable to make their way to school as roads remain closed due to snow in the municipalities of Resende and Pampilhosa da Serra.
