Heavy rains have caused flooding in parts of Portugal. Especially in the region of the capital Lisbon, many streets were under water, as could be seen on television. Mayor Carlos Moedas spoke of sometimes “chaotic” conditions, as reported by the Lusa news agency. There was flooding last week. “We’ve never seen it happen so quickly,” Moedas was quoted as saying.
Many roads in the metropolis are impassable because tunnels are under water. The metro also only runs to a limited extent. People were asked not to leave their homes if possible. Moedas stressed that no casualties have been reported so far, but that some people have had to be rescued from their homes.
Rain after a long drought
There were also floods in neighboring Spain. In Andalusia streets were under water.
The heavy rains follow months of drought in Portugal and Spain. Last summer was also one of the hottest since weather records began. Experts also attribute such extreme weather events to climate change.
