Web Summit Day 2 will not take place
Storm Charles: what Web Summit has said, the official alerts, what attendees need to know, and a timeline with sources. Last checked 21:37 UTC.
Web Summit: Day 2, Wednesday 11 November, will not take place
On the Portuguese Government's formal advice, Web Summit has said Day 2 will not take place. It says it aims to proceed with Day 3, Thursday 12 November, as planned, following the passing of Storm Charles.
Web Summit's statement "Important event update" (dated 19:09 UTC in its page data; on its blog by about 20:00 UTC), read 23:45 UTC. Web Summit also emailed attendees, and its homepage carries the notice. The government's formal advice itself has not been found on an official page. Web Summit's statement
Last checked by the weather desk at 10 Nov 21:37 UTC. Lisbon time is UTC in November. Everything below is what the official sources say, with the time we read each one; we make no forecast of our own and give no advice beyond the authorities'. Where we cite the press, it is labelled.
The official alerts
IPMA, Lisbon district · read 11 Nov 00:05 UTC · source
Wind: RED, Wed 11 Nov 12:00 to 21:00. Gusts up to 120 km/h, possibly 140 km/h in the most exposed places. Re-read at 00:05 UTC: unchanged.
IPMA, Lisbon district · read 11 Nov 00:05 UTC · source
Rain: RED, Wed 11 Nov 09:00 to 18:00. Heavy and persistent rain. Orange from 00:00 to 09:00 (yellow until 00:00). IPMA moved the start of the red warning earlier from 12:00 to 09:00 on Tuesday evening.
IPMA, Lisbon district · read 11 Nov 00:05 UTC · source
Sea: ORANGE, Wed 12:00 to 21:00, south-west waves of 5 to 7 m, up to 13 m maximum; then yellow until Thu 03:00. Re-read at 00:05 UTC: unchanged.
The government · read 10 Nov 17:01 UTC · source
Alert situation (situação de alerta) for all of mainland Portugal, 00:00 to 23:59 on Wednesday: schools and non-essential public services closed; outdoor events suspended, whatever their nature; no access to parks and wooded areas at risk of falling trees; no access to the shoreline, rivers and flood-prone areas.
The Minister of Internal Administration · read 10 Nov 17:01 UTC · source
Asked people to stay at home where possible and avoid unnecessary travel. An appeal, not an order.
ANEPC (civil protection) · read 10 Nov 17:01 UTC · source
Raised the special readiness state and sent a public SMS warning about Wednesday.
Maritime Authority and the Navy (the weather desk's read; not re-checked) · read 10 Nov 16:58 UTC · source
Considerable worsening of the weather and the sea on the mainland from 06:00 on Wednesday to midday on Thursday. This is their forecast for the sea and the coast, not IPMA's land warning for Lisbon; the two figures are not the same.
Web Summit's Wednesday
Web Summit · read 10 Nov 23:45 UTC · source
Web Summit says Day 2, Wednesday 11 November, will not take place, respecting the Government's direction, and that it aims to proceed with Day 3, Thursday 12 November, as planned, following the passing of Storm Charles. Its homepage says: "On the advice of the Portuguese Government, Day 2 of Web Summit will not be going ahead due to severe weather warnings."
Not announced, and not inferred:
- What Day 3 will look like beyond "aims to proceed as planned": not announced.
- The government's formal advice to Web Summit, on any official page: not found by the desk.
- Any measure of the City of Lisbon (its sites refuse automated reads): not read.
What attendees need to know
From the authorities:
- The government's measures apply on Wednesday: outdoor events are suspended, parks and wooded areas at risk of falling trees and the shoreline are off limits. (read 10 Nov 17:01 UTC; source)
- The Minister of Internal Administration appealed to people to stay at home where possible and avoid unnecessary travel. (read 10 Nov 17:01 UTC; source)
- Web Summit's statement gives the reasons for cancelling Day 2 as the risks from Storm Charles, including tidal flooding, severe disruption to public transport and the impact of high winds on external structures. (read 10 Nov 21:37 UTC; source)
Transport, from each operator:
- Fertagus (trains over the 25 de Abril bridge). Its notice says: if winds exceed 90 km/h, trains on the bridge will be suspended, possibly on the whole line; it recommends avoiding non-essential travel. A conditional rule; no suspension announced. (Read 21:37 UTC.) (read 10 Nov 21:37 UTC; source)
- Carris (city buses and trams). Its homepage banner says service is disrupted, that Carris is monitoring the situation and will post changes, and to check before leaving. First read at 18:37 UTC; still there at 23:43. No suspension named. (read 10 Nov 23:43 UTC; source)
- Carris Metropolitana (regional buses). Four general weather notices run to Wednesday 23:59: possible disruption, delays and diversions. No suspension announced. (read 10 Nov 23:43 UTC; source)
- Transtejo/Soflusa (river ferries). Wednesday: the Porto Brandão–Trafaria–Algés ferry link is interrupted, because the authorities have closed the Algés seafront promenade; passengers use the Trafaria–Porto Brandão–Belém link (notice of 22:28 UTC on Tuesday). Tuesday's 13:24 suspension of car transport was lifted at 18:06. (read 10 Nov 23:45 UTC; source)
- Metro de Lisboa. No change to Metro service found on Metro's site. Metro keeps five stations open on the nights of 10 to 11 and 11 to 12 November to shelter homeless people, with the Lisbon and Amadora councils. (read 10 Nov 19:36 UTC; source)
- CP (national rail) and the airport (ANA). Not readable by our tools; not checked. Check them directly.
Not announced yet:
- Any suspension of Metro, Carris or Carris Metropolitana for Wednesday, or a closure of the Tagus bar.
- The City of Lisbon's own measures (its sites refuse automated reads).
- The government's formal advice to Web Summit, on any official page.
Timeline
Newest first. Every line has its source.
- 10 Nov 23:41 UTC. IPMA moves the start of Lisbon's red rain warning for Wednesday to 09:00 (orange from 00:00 to 09:00); the red wind warning (12:00 to 21:00) is unchanged. (Seen by about 23:41 UTC.) source
- 10 Nov 22:28 UTC. Transtejo/Soflusa publishes the Wednesday notice: the Porto Brandão–Trafaria–Algés ferry link is interrupted because the authorities closed the Algés seafront. source
- 10 Nov 20:00 UTC. Web Summit's statement "Important event update" is on its blog (dated 19:09 in its page data): the Government has formally advised that Day 2 should not take place, because of Storm Charles (tidal flooding, severe disruption to public transport, wind on external structures). Its homepage carries the notice. source
- 10 Nov 19:36 UTC. Metro de Lisboa keeps five stations open overnight on 10 to 11 and 11 to 12 November for homeless people, citing the forecast worsening of the weather. source
- 10 Nov 18:37 UTC. Carris's homepage banner reads that service is disrupted and that it is monitoring the situation. source
- 10 Nov 17:42 UTC. IPMA raises Lisbon's rain warning to red for Wednesday 12:00 to 18:00 (later moved to start at 09:00); the red wind warning is unchanged. source
- 10 Nov 17:35 UTC. PRESS: the Prime Minister says the government recommended suspending the summit's work; the decision was the organisers' (24 Notícias). source
- 10 Nov 17:07 UTC. IPMA communiqué no. 2 on the depression CHARLES: worse weather from early Wednesday morning; red and orange warnings issued; track and strength highly uncertain. source
- 10 Nov 13:47 UTC. PRESS: the Lisbon mayor says everything indicates Web Summit cannot run on Wednesday; the decision is for the Ministry of Internal Administration (DN). source
- 10 Nov 13:24 UTC. Transtejo/Soflusa suspends car transport on Trafaria to Porto Brandão to Belém for rough seas; service is restored at 18:06 UTC. source
- 10 Nov 12:15 UTC. The Maritime Authority and the Navy warn of a considerable worsening at sea from Wednesday 06:00 to Thursday midday. (The weather desk's read; not re-checked.) source
- 10 Nov 12:10 UTC. The government declares the alert situation for all of mainland Portugal on Wednesday (the page's date). source
- 9 Nov 20:30 UTC. ANEPC's Aviso 21 on CHARLES: gusts to 120 km/h; avoid unnecessary travel. (The weather desk's read; not re-checked.) source
- 9 Nov 13:17 UTC. IPMA communiqué no. 1 names the low CHARLES and says orange warnings will follow, an upgrade not ruled out. source
Source for all of it: the weather desk's facts list, kept up to date and checked hourly.