Orange weather warnings will apply in Madeira from late 10 November and on the Portuguese mainland from 11 November as depression Charles approaches, bringing forecasts of strong winds, heavy rain and rough seas. Spain is also preparing for unsettled conditions, with its weather agency, Aemet, identifying Wednesday as the most severe period and warning that instability will continue on Thursday.
The approaching system follows storm Bruna, which caused flooding in Madeira over the weekend. Ten people were left homeless and one person remained missing, while dozens of flights were cancelled at Funchal airport. The island region is still clearing debris as it prepares for another spell of severe weather.
Charles is the third named storm of the 2026/27 season, following Adam and Bruna. Its arrival puts the emphasis on preparation across Portugal and Spain, but the forecasts are not a fixed account of what will happen in every location. The storm’s track may change, affecting where the strongest winds and heaviest rain occur.
Wind, rain and rough seas
Portugal’s weather agency, IPMA, forecasts gusts of 100 to 120 km/h on the mainland. On Madeira’s high ground, gusts could reach about 130 km/h. Those figures describe forecast gusts rather than sustained wind speeds, and the highest figure applies specifically to the island’s elevated areas.
IPMA also forecasts more than 100 mm of rain in 12 hours in some of Madeira’s mountain areas. That forecast is particularly significant for an island already dealing with the aftermath of flooding, although it does not establish which places will flood or how extensive any further damage might be.
At sea, southwesterly waves of 4 to 6 metres are forecast south of Cabo Carvoeiro, on Portugal’s mainland coast. The combination of wind, rain and rough water means the warnings concern more than conditions inland. Portuguese civil protection has urged people to avoid coastlines as part of its advice ahead of the storm.
The warning timetable differs between Madeira and the mainland, beginning on the island late on 10 November before applying on the mainland from 11 November. Orange warnings signal severe weather conditions requiring preparation. Local conditions will nevertheless vary, and the forecasts for mountain areas should not be taken as predictions for the whole island.
Madeira’s recovery
Madeira, a Portuguese island region in the Atlantic, faces Charles while the consequences of Bruna remain unresolved. The weekend flooding left people without homes, and the missing person’s fate is not established in the supplied details of the storm’s aftermath. Further severe weather threatens to complicate the continuing recovery.
The cancellations at Funchal airport also show the practical effect severe weather can have on journeys to and from the island. For people planning travel, including British visitors, the immediate relevance is the potential for disruption. There is no confirmed figure for cancellations associated with Charles, and Bruna’s flight disruption should not be treated as a forecast for the next storm.
The challenge is therefore both immediate and cumulative: preparing for another storm while debris from the previous flooding is still being cleared. The forecast rainfall and gusts give a measure of the conditions authorities are preparing for, but they do not yet establish the consequences for homes, roads or airport operations.
Preparing for Charles
Portuguese civil protection has advised people not to cross flooded roads and to secure loose structures, alongside its warning to stay away from coastlines. These precautions address the different hazards in the forecast, from floodwater on roads to exposed objects in strong winds and dangerous conditions beside the sea.
The next key period begins with Madeira’s orange warnings late on 10 November, followed by the mainland warnings from 11 November. In Spain, Aemet expects Wednesday to bring the most severe conditions, with unsettled weather continuing on Thursday. The precise track and local effects remain subject to change as Charles approaches, while Madeira must prepare without having completed its recovery from Bruna.
