The flow rate of the Mondego River at the Coimbra bridge dam has exceeded the safety limits of 2000 cubic meters per second (m3 / s) at 9.30 hours.

In a statement to the Lusa agency, the Coimbra City Council, which cites information from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) sent to the Municipal Civil Protection, says that the river flow has a “rising trend over the next few hours, and the situation is very critical. ”

In the text, the municipality of Coimbra states that “a critical flood situation is expected”, recommending to the population to remain “in a state of permanent alert and to respect all indications of the authorities who are on the ground and their directions”.

The possibility of the critical flood situation arises from various factors: the Aguieira dam reservoir, upstream of Coimbra, on the Mondego River, is at 94% of its capacity, from the Fronhas dam on the Alva River, tributary of the Mondego, which is “at the maximum flood level” and “high flow rate of Ceira River”, another tributary of the left bank of the Mondego.

Meanwhile Coimbra’s suburban trains have been suspended on Saturday due to rising water levels, according to information released by an official source from Infrarastruras de Portugal (IP).

More than 250 people were removed from home due to the rising waters of the Mondego River in three villages of the municipality of Montemor-o-Velho, district of Coimbra, according to sources of the municipality and Civil Protection.

The Municipality that  “from the low, historically flood-sensitive zones” of the right bank of Mondego – Carapinheira, Montemor-o-Velho, Meças do Campo, Tentúgal and Ereira – “to preventive measures and self-protection due to the possibility of flooding, “although they are located farther from the main riverbed than the villages on the left bank.

In the notice, the municipality calls on residents of these localities to remain calm, vigilant and to convey “serenity to others”, to “list and collect important and necessary objects, such as identification documents and medicines” and to change the filling of the house. to the upper floors “by placing the most valuable objects at the highest points”.

Given the magnitude of the floods in Baixo Mondego, Emílio Torrão also said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) has made available a helicopter to assess the damage from the air, and the aircraft is expected to fly over the affected region, taking the mayors on board. of Montemor-o-Velho and Coimbra, the District Commander of Relief Operations (CODIS) and a technician of the Portuguese Environment Agency

Due to the state of emergency of the situations described that can occur in the next few hours in the municipality of coimbra, and since the emergency plan is activated, the evacuation of the housing internship center (Nomads Park), located in the pool, was ordered Next to the academic academy. The Evacuation of the municipal kennel, which is located in the choupal, has also been ordered, and the machinery of the garden and the municipal yard has been moved, having been moved to the parking to the municipal

It is also reported that the municipal civil protection commission is constantly in meeting and the means are all mobilised on the ground to deal with the events that may occur and ensure the safety of the population.