A source from the Government of the Azores (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) told the Lusa agency that "all educational establishments in São Miguel and Santa Maria closed this afternoon, as a precaution" due to the bad weather.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) today issued a red warning, the most serious, for the Eastern group of the Azores (São Miguel and Santa Maria), due to "rainfall that is sometimes heavy, and may be accompanied by thunder", between 15:00 local time (16:00 in Lisbon) and 21:00 (22:00 in Lisbon), then becoming a yellow warning until 00:00 on Thursday.
The Civil Protection of the Azores has already asked the firefighters of São Miguel and Santa Maria to increase the number of elements in the barracks, taking into account the forecast of worsening weather on those islands.
In a press release, the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service of the Azores (SRPCBA) reported that it contacted the fire departments of the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria, as well as the Municipal Civil Protection Services of the Eastern group of the Azores, in order to "signal risky locations/zones that could be affected by adverse weather conditions".
In the note, the Azorean Civil Protection advised the population to adopt self-protection measures.
The SRPCBA asked the population to "circulate only if necessary", to clean the drainage systems of residences and adjacent spaces and to pay attention to the recommendations disseminated by official entities and the media.