Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 1^st November 2023.

Good morning everyone – Well we have had plenty of rain in the latter half of October, and at long last some for the Algarve. The depressions and storms seem to be developing a frequent intervals at present and those that affected us in Portugal, have impacted with mainly localised flooding and fallen trees. As we have repeatedly said it is important to follow the warnings and advice given by the authorities.

Unfortunately we still see people disregarding these and in Madeira there was the tragic case two days ago of a tourist washed out to sea whilst reportedly taking selfies close to the water’s edge during a storm.  More frequently we see many motorists on social media who do not slow down whilst driving through flooded streets, thereby creating a bow wave that can immobilise the vehicle leaving passengers stranded and exposed in some cases to extreme weather conditions.

Predicting where these storms, that originate mainly in the Atlantic will land is not always easy as their track can be influenced by so many factors. In some cases landing in Spain, France and even northwards to the UK. As I write this report, storm CIARAN (named by the UK Met Office) is forecast to approach the coasts of the north-western quarter of France during the night of Wednesday to Thursday and will move inland during the morning of Thursday.

It is expected to be accompanied by violent winds and a risk of “wave-submersion” phenomenon along the entire Atlantic coast and on the English Channel with very strong waves. The strongest winds will be on the coasts of these departments with 120 to 140 km/h, or even locally 150 km/h.

If you are travelling it is important to be aware of the conditions along your route and destination to determine the risks and in order that you can plan accordingly.

This week will end with some pretty cold weather for the season in parts of the north and by the weekend minimum temperatures will be as low as 3C in several areas of the north and colder in the mountainous areas down to around zero C. And with expected strong winds it will make the cold feeling even more intense. We have also seen the first snows of the season in the Serra da Estrela with a forecast of some more on its way at other mountainous locations.

During the cold weather there are certain precautions to take when it comes to protection from low temperatures. Many domestic accidents are due to the effect of carbon monoxide, a toxic gas, which is odourless and colourless. Also most fatal domestic fires are at night time, caused by faulty heating equipment and not following the safety rules concerning their use.  Please follow our posts on this topic.

Starting today we will also be providing regular reminders on how to clean your land to help prevent rural fires reaching your property and related to this the burning of cut and piled waste. Unfortunately so far in 2023 around half of all fires have resulted from extensive burning/burning of cut and pilled waste/burning of trash and bonfires, which have become out of control. Most important to remember is to seek authorisation if the fire risk is very high/maximum or simply register if the fire risk is below this.

Lastly as Mike Evans reported in his Algarve Report today Safe Communities Portugal and Amigos do Museu do Traje in São Brás de Alportel have joined forces in holding a “Safe Christmas and Festive Period Seminar”. This will take place at Museu do Traje in São Brás de Alportel on Friday 17th November from 1700 hrs to 1900 hrs, and everyone is welcome to attend. More details on our Facebook page and LinkedIn.

We wish you a safe week ahead

News

Lisbon will have 242 video surveillance cameras by 2025

Lisbon, 31 Oct 2023 (Lusa) – Lisbon will have 242 video surveillance cameras throughout the city by 2025, in a municipal investment “in excess of 5.3 million euros”, the chamber reported today, noting that there are currently 33, which is there will be 97 at the beginning of 2024.

In response to questions from the Lusa agency, the Lisbon Chamber, under the presidency of Carlos Moedas (PSD), said that “the municipality makes a positive assessment of the existing video protection system, as a means with preventive capabilities, which allows for rapid diagnosis and remote monitoring, complementing the service provided by the physical presence of the authorities”.

Asked about how many situations were resolved using the visualization of images captured by existing video surveillance cameras in the city – 26 in Bairro Alto since 2014 and seven in the Miradouro de Santa Catarina area since 2022 -, the council sent this request for information to the Public Security Police (PSP), which is the entity responsible for operating the system.

However, the municipality of Lisbon stated that the video surveillance system “constitutes yet another contribution to reinforcing the security of people and property and helping law enforcement to fulfill their role of protecting and guaranteeing the law, primarily supporting prevention, but also the quick response in the event of crimes”.

According to the municipality, the 33 video surveillance cameras currently installed in downtown Lisbon “will be added to another 97 (by public tender), which will begin to be placed at the beginning of next year”: 30 in Cais do Sodré, 17 in Restaurateurs, 20 in Ribeira das Naus and 30 in Campo das Cebolas.

This information had already been released after a restricted meeting of the Municipal Security Council, on October 17, to analyze the situation in the city and the strategic cooperation between the Municipal Police and the PSP, with the mayor of Lisbon defending the reinforcement the number of agents and the implementation of video protection.

“Security is fundamental for Lisbon and we will do everything to maintain and reinforce it”, said social democrat Carlos Moedas, in a post on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

To the Lusa agency, the council said that “in 2024, competitions will also be launched to place another 112 video protection cameras in 11 other areas of the city”: Praça do Comércio, Cais das Colunas, Praça D. Pedro IV, Praça da Figueira, Rua Augusta, Rua do Ouro, Rua da Prata, Rua do Comércio, Rua dos Fanqueiros, Santa Apolónia – Rua Caminhos de Ferro and Santa Apolónia – Avenida Infante D. Henrique.

“In total, an additional 209 cameras will be installed by the end of the mandate [in 2025], totalling 242 video surveillance cameras throughout the city”, indicated the municipality.

In March 2021, the Ministry of Internal Administration authorized the installation of 216 video surveillance cameras in Lisbon, but of these, only seven have been installed so far.