Portugal felt the full force of Storm Charles on Wednesday, November 11, as the tempest tore across the mainland and Madeira, leaving a trail of grounded planes and empty streets. More than 300 flights were canceled at the country's four main airports, with Lisbon bearing the brunt of the chaos.
At Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport, airlines scrapped 288 of the 565 scheduled arrivals and departures before the day even began, and another 22 were axed during the morning, according to ANA Aeroportos de Portugal. Madeira saw 20 of its 80 flights canceled in advance, with two more dropped later. Faro lost 14 of its 62 flights ahead of time, plus two more during the day. Porto, which had 214 flights on the books, managed with just 12 advance cancellations and no further disruption.
The storm brought gusts exceeding 120 km/h in some areas, and Madeira had already been battered on Tuesday with winds of 130 km/h. The Portuguese weather service, IPMA, issued red and orange warnings for rain and wind across much of the mainland and Madeira, with the red alert initially covering more than half the country. By mid-afternoon, only the Algarve remained under the highest alert, and that was later lifted.
The government didn't mess around. Schools closed, courts and monuments shut their doors, and non-essential public services went dark. Around 8,000 schools canceled classes, and the streets were largely deserted. Even the Web Summit technology conference in Lisbon, which draws about 70,000 attendees, called off the day's events.
This wasn't Portugal's first weather rodeo this month. Storm Bruna, named by IPMA on November 5, had already brought strong winds, heavy rain, and rough seas, causing dozens of flight cancellations in Madeira. But the scale of the response to Charles reflects hard lessons from January, when Storm Kristin hit central Portugal, toppling thousands of trees and causing widespread property damage. The government faced harsh criticism for its weak response then, and Interior Minister Luís Neves pushed back against claims of overreaction this time: "We have to stop being reactive. We can't just respond when there's a disaster."
For travelers, the practical takeaway is clear. The UK Foreign Office warned of heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous coastal conditions across mainland Portugal, Madeira, and Porto Santo, with the greatest risk on Wednesday. They noted the weather "may cause flooding, landslides, falling trees and travel disruption." ANA warned that conditions "may affect operations in the coming days" and advised passengers to confirm their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport.
TAP Air Portugal adjusted its schedule in line with forecasts and is letting passengers who bought tickets by November 10 and were due to fly by November 11 rebook free of charge onto any flight up to November 17, in the same cabin. The nationwide state of alert ended Wednesday night and won't be extended.
If you're planning a trip to Portugal, keep an eye on MeteoAlarm for the latest warnings and follow local authority advice. And if you're flying, check with your airline before you leave home. For more on how weather can disrupt travel, see how Storm Agneta turned Rhodes into a watery maze or how Spain's 24-hour strike grounded flights and shut museums. And if you're thinking about Portugal's airports, Lisbon's taxis finally got fixed fares after years of overcharging, which might soften the blow of any delays.
