Porto, Matosinhos, Gaia and Viseu cancel New Year celebrations due to bad weather

New Year’s celebrations in Porto, Gaia, Matosinhos and Viseu were canceled due to worsening weather conditions, with heavy rain, wind and sea turmoil, it was revealed this Friday.

In a statement, the Porto Chamber said that the musical (outdoor) and pyrotechnic festivities in the three cities were canceled due to bad weather.

“Following the recommendations of the Civil Protection and the warnings to the population, Rui Moreira, Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues and Luísa Salgueiro cancel the musical celebrations, held abroad, and pyrotechnics scheduled for the night of New Year’s Eve, in the respective cities”stresses the municipality.

The Porto Chamber recalls that forecasts point to a worsening of weather conditions, with heavy rain, wind and maritime agitation, during the night of Saturday, December 31, and the early hours of January 1, 2023.

Viseu City Council also informs in a statement that “after receiving the most recent information on weather forecasts for the day and night of tomorrow, December 31, which point to the worsening of the weather, in particular precipitation, the organization, in conjunction with the municipal Civil Protection service, decided to move forward with the decision to cancel the celebrations”.

“The adverse weather conditions do not guarantee the necessary logistics for the normal implementation of the program” scheduled for the night of December 31, jeopardizing “the safety of everyone involved and the community itself, which would come here to celebrate the end of the year”, says the entity.

Viana do Castelo, Braga and Porto under orange warning due to heavy rain on Sunday morning

The districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga and Porto will be, on Sunday morning, under orange warning due to the forecast of “persistent and sometimes heavy rain”, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) reported this Friday. .

The orange warning (the second most serious of a scale of three) for heavy precipitation applies to these three districts in the north of mainland Portugal on the first day of the year 2023, on Sunday, between 00:00 and 12:00 , according to the IPMA.

From 21:00 this Friday and until 09:00 on Saturday, the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga and Porto are under yellow warning (the least serious of a scale of three) due to the forecast of “strong wind , with gusts of up to 80 km/h [quilómetros por hora]”, as well as Aveiro, where this warning starts at the same time and lasts until 12:00 on Saturday.

Of the 18 districts in mainland Portugal, 11 in the north and center are under yellow warning due to precipitation from Saturday until Sunday, although with different times in relation to the alert.

In addition to the orange warning between 00:00 and 12:00 on Sunday, the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga and Porto are under yellow warning between 18:00 on Saturday and 00:00 on Sunday and between 12:00: 00 and 15:00 on Sunday, due to “persistent and sometimes heavy rain”, according to information from the IPMA.

On Sunday, January 1st, the districts of Aveiro (between 00:00 and 15:00), Vila Real and Viseu (both between 09:00 and 18:00) are also under yellow warning due to precipitation. , as well as Coimbra and Leiria (both between 12:00 and 18:00) and Bragança, Guarda and Castelo Branco (all three between 15:00 and 21:00).

In addition to precipitation and wind warnings, the IPMA issued a yellow warning due to rough seas for Viana do Castelo, Braga and Porto, between 12:00 on Saturday and 12:00 on Sunday, as well as for Aveiro (between 18:00 :00 on Saturday and 12:00 on Sunday), Leiria and Coimbra (both between 9:00 pm on Saturday and 3:00 pm on Sunday) and Lisbon (on Sunday between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm), all forecast “west-southwest waves of 4 to 4.5 meters”.

In addition to the districts in the north and center of mainland Portugal, the autonomous region of Madeira will be under a yellow warning for precipitation on Sunday between 03:00 and 09:00.

Without IPMA weather warnings between this Friday and until Sunday, there are the districts of the Alentejo and Algarve regions, as well as the autonomous region of the Azores.