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The government of Portugal declared an alert situation due to the storm that hit a large part of the country this Wednesday (11/11). The rains are accompanied by winds that could reach 150 km/h throughout the day, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere.
The institute named the storm Charles. It is formed by a low pressure weather system in the North Atlantic Ocean.
These storms generally form when masses of hot and cold air meet. Hot air, being lighter, rises and favors the formation of clouds and rain. This creates a region of low pressure, where air from neighboring areas moves. This movement gives rise to winds, which can gain strength and cause storms.
The Portuguese government says there is a chance of "flooding, falling trees and infrastructure and disruptions to energy and communications networks". As a result, some schools and public offices considered non-essential were closed and some flights were cancelled.
According to the Associated Press news agency, this was the first time that Portugal's approximately 8,000 schools suspended classes across the country due to the forecast of a storm.
Also according to the agency, some streets in Lisbon were flooded due to blocked drains, a national supermarket chain closed its units and an international technology conference that would take place in the city, with the presence of 70 thousand people, canceled its activities.
Where does the name Charles come from?
The name Charles is not related to the storm's characteristics nor was it chosen randomly.
Portugal is part of a group of European countries — which also include Andorra, Belgium, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Portugal — that share a previously defined list of names for naming atmospheric depressions.
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The list follows alphabetical order and alternates between male and female names. In the 2026/2027 season, which started on September 1st, Charles appears after Adam and Bruna, who reached the Iberian Peninsula in recent months.
Canceled flights
According to the Portuguese newspaper Público, between departures and arrivals, around 220 flights were canceled at Lisbon and Faro airports until 9:20 am local time, or 6:20 am Brasília time.
Most of them concern cancellations at Humberto Delgado Airport, in the capital, which is the main entry and exit point to the country.
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