Portugal's IPMA defends forecasts amid storm criticism

Portugal’s Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) warned of widespread thunderstorms on 24‑25 June 2026, issuing yellow alerts for Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Coimbra, Vila Real and Viseu. The institute forecast scattered showers that could become locally strong, with hail and wind gusts, especially along the northern coast.

In a separate hearing on the January 2026 storm Kristin, IPMA said its system did not fail. It highlighted that forecasts are probabilistic and noted an investment of about €42 million in top‑level radars that identified the rapid development of a rare “sting jet” on 28 January. IPMA had warned on 26 January of wind gusts up to 150 km/h and raised alerts on 27 January, passing information to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority. The institute emphasized that impact assessment is the responsibility of municipal civil protection.

During the parliamentary session, IPMA president José Guerreiro stated, “O sistema não falhou nas competências do IPMA,” while opposition members from Chega claimed failures and called for criminal investigations, saying, “O IPMA comunicou a tempo e horas.”