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Portugal shuts schools and non-essential services as Storm Charles approaches

Storm Charles prompted nationwide school closures, the first in living memory for a storm forecast, and more than 300 flights were cancelled.

Published Nov 11, 2026 · 19:39 UTC2 reports

The short version

Portugal shut schools nationwide and halted non-essential public services on Wednesday as Storm Charles neared the mainland.[Associated Press]
About 8,000 schools canceled classes nationwide, and more than 300 flights in and out of Portugal were cancelled.[Associated Press · Al Jazeera]
Storm Charles had already struck Madeira on Tuesday with 130 kph winds, and Interior Minister Luis Neves rejected suggestions that authorities overreacted.[Associated Press · Al Jazeera]
The storm's effects on the mainland were still unfolding in the reporting, so the final impact remains unknown.[Associated Press]

Portugal closed all schools and shut non-essential public services on Wednesday as Storm Charles approached the mainland.[Associated Press]
Roughly 8,000 schools canceled classes nationwide, the first such storm-related closure in living memory.[Associated Press]
More than 300 flights in and out of Portugal were cancelled due to Storm Charles.[Al Jazeera]
Storm Charles struck the Portuguese island of Madeira on Tuesday with 130 kph winds.[Associated Press]
Interior Minister Luis Neves dismissed suggestions that authorities had overreacted to the storm.[Al Jazeera]

Whether the precautions were excessive is disputed, with the interior minister rejecting suggestions of overreaction.[Al Jazeera]
The storm's impact on the mainland was still unfolding in the reporting, so final damage and effects remain unknown.[Associated Press]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.