Storm Charles Grounds 300-Plus Portugal Flights, Closes Schools Nationwide

Portugal cancelled more than 300 flights and closed all schools nationwide on Wednesday 11 November 2026 as Storm Charles reached the mainland from the Atlantic. The heavy rain and intense winds eventually passed without causing severe damage, but operations were suspended across four international airports, hundreds of supermarkets and all non-essential public services.

Key facts

• More than 300 flights in and out of Portugal cancelled
• Operations shut down at four international airports
• About 8,000 schools cancelled classes — a first in living memory
• Wind gusts above 120km/h (75mph) recorded in some areas
• Red alert, the highest emergency warning, remained in the Algarve by mid-afternoon

What was disrupted?

Air travel took the biggest hit, with over 300 flights to and from Portugal called off as operations stopped at four international airports. Bus services continued in the capital Lisbon but ran without passengers, and some streets flooded there because of clogged drains.

The Web Summit technology conference in Lisbon, which was attended by about 70,000 people, cancelled its Wednesday programme. A national supermarket chain also shut its stores, alongside hundreds of supermarkets and all non-essential public services.

Who issued warnings and what were they?

The government told people to stay at home, and streets were largely deserted when the storm arrived. Red alert — the highest level of emergency warning — initially covered more than half of the country; by mid-afternoon, only the southern Algarve region, a popular European tourist destination, remained at that level.

Portugal's national weather agency, IPMA, recorded wind gusts of more than 120km/h (75mph) in some areas. Storm Charles had struck the Portuguese island of Madeira, off northwest Africa, on Tuesday with 130km/h (81mph) winds.

What was the government response?

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro chaired a crisis unit with eight government ministers and other officials to monitor the storm. Interior Minister Luis Neves, who oversees public safety, rejected suggestions that authorities had overreacted, saying the government organised its response in accordance with the weather forecast.

The preparations came after the centre-right government faced harsh criticism over its weak response to Storm Kristin in January, which felled thousands of trees in central Portugal and caused widespread property damage still being repaired. In February, a 70-year-old man died in the southern region of Alentejo after flooding swept his vehicle off a street in the aftermath of Storm Leonardo.

What this means for travellers

Travellers in or heading to Portugal should expect flight cancellations and check their airline's status before travelling, as operations stopped at four international airports. Non-essential public services and many shops were closed and people were told to stay at home during the storm.

Storm Charles was forecast to head later into Spain, where a general strike was under way on Wednesday and strike organisers cancelled or postponed demonstrations in some southern cities, including Cordoba, Huelva and Cadiz.