Santa Cruz, Portugal, Mar. 3, 2026 (Lusa) - Landings and takeoffs at Madeira International Airport - Cristiano Ronaldo continue to be affected for the second consecutive day, with around 70 flights cancelled on Tuesday due to adverse weather conditions.
According to the ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal website, between 7:42 a.m. and 9:44 a.m., only five planes landed, and two aircraft took off, during a break in the strong winds affecting Madeira.
On Monday, around 90 flights were cancelled, affecting thousands of passengers, including tourists and residents.
On that day, ANA warned that “weather forecasts pointed to adverse conditions that could affect operations (departures and arrivals) in the coming days” and asked passengers to check with their airline about the status of their flight before heading to the airport.
The IPMA issued an orange warning for the Madeira archipelago between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. today, then changing to yellow until 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday due to strong north/northwest winds, with gusts of up to 95 kilometres per hour (km/h).
In the mountainous regions of Madeira, wind gusts may reach 120 km/h.
Showers are also expected today, occasionally with hail, especially on the north side and in the highlands of Madeira, with snow above 1,500 meters, for which a yellow warning has been issued.
The sea will also be rough, with waves from the northwest reaching 4 to 5 meters, temporarily increasing to 5 to 6 meters, and possibly reaching a maximum height of 11 meters.
Due to sea conditions, the IPMA has issued an orange warning until 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
The orange warning, the second most serious on a scale of three, is issued by the IPMA when there is a moderate to high risk weather situation, and the yellow warning (the least serious) is issued whenever there is a risk to certain activities dependent on the weather situation.
The Madeira archipelago is being hit by Storm Regina, which is expected to affect the weather until Wednesday morning.
The depression will be centred in the eastern part of the autonomous region on Tuesday and will gradually move southeastly the following day, ceasing to affect the weather from Wednesday morning onwards.
On Thursday, a cold front is expected to pass through, causing cloudy skies and rain.
The Regional Government of Madeira has announced that all classified walking trails, among the most popular tourist attractions, are closed due to the weather conditions.
The access roads to the mountains of Madeira are also closed due to snowfall.
AMB/ADB // ADB.
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