Porto, Feb. 11, 2026 (Lusa) - The River Douro rose considerably overnight, and Wednesday is expected to be "difficult in terms of flow control" due to heavy rain forecast for northern Portugal and Spain, according to the Douro River Authority.
"We have already observed a considerable rise in the level of the Carrapatelo reservoir in the city of Peso da Régua [district of Vila Real]. It has already reached 10.7 metres, meaning the river has reached the waterfront. It has not risen much beyond that and has remained stable, but it is already at a considerable level. Here [in the areas of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia], during the day, we have to keep monitoring because there is still a lot of water," said the deputy commander of the captaincy, Pedro Cervaens.
In a statement to the Lusa news agency at around 7:30 a.m., the deputy commander of the Douro Port Authority said that the heavy rainfall forecast for today makes this day "worthy of close attention".
"The level in the estuary is also always around 5 metres. Therefore, Miragaia [in Porto] already took on a little water yesterday [Tuesday]. Nothing significant, but it did come in a little. We believe today may also be a difficult day for controlling the flow. Therefore, it is possible that these areas with lower water levels will suffer from water ingress again," he warned.
The municipality of Porto will have the Municipal Civil Protection Emergency Plan (PMEPC) in place until 11:59 pm on Sunday, after the government placed 48 municipalities in a state of contingency due to the occurrence or high risk of flooding, as reported on Monday.
Vila Nova de Gaia has also activated the Municipal Civil Protection Emergency Plan (PMEPC) until Sunday, according to an order dated Saturday and published on Monday on the local authority's website.
Bad weather, including heavy rain, wind, and rough seas, led the Douro Port Authority to issue a red alert for flood risk last week.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) warned on Tuesday that rain and strong winds are expected today due to the Nils depression, which will not directly affect mainland Portugal.
An orange alert is in place between 06:00 and 18:00 today for Viseu, Porto, Vila Real, Santarém, Viana do Castelo, Leiria, Aveiro, Coimbra and Braga.
Mainland Portugal was hit on 27 January by the Kristin depression, followed by Leonardo and Marta, which caused 15 deaths and hundreds of injuries and displaced persons.
PFT/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
