Storm Charles has brought destructive weather to the Iberian Peninsula this week, particularly Portugal and the far south of Spain, causing widespread flooding and major flight disruption. The system first struck the Portuguese island of Madeira, where a wind gust of 84.5mph (136 km/h) was recorded at Funchal airport and rainfall totals reached 355mm in 12 hours. It then moved to the mainland on 11 November.
Flight cancellations hit Lisbon and Madrid
Lisbon recorded 183 flight cancellations on Wednesday, around a third of its normal daily traffic, while Madrid Barajas airport had 155 cancellations.
Flooding and rockfalls reach France and Italy
After widespread flooding in Spain and Portugal, the system tracked north-easterly through southern France and then towards northern Italy. Parts of Cannes saw significant flooding, some of which caused rock falls and led to road closures along the French Riviera.
Italy’s weather service issued a red rainfall warning, its highest level, covering the area from Tuscany to Venezia. Further heavy rain is expected in Italy and the Balkans over the next few days.
Forecast models indicate an additional 100mm could accumulate widely, with totals close to 200mm likely in more mountainous areas.
