“Boat owners are advised to take necessary precautions to ensure their safety,” the port authority said in a statement.

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has issued an orange warning for rain, wind and strong sea waves starting at 12:00 today in Madeira.

A warning for continued, sometimes heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms is in effect from 12:00 to 18:00 on the north and south coasts of the island.

An orange warning has also been issued for high winds on the island’s north coast, with gusts of up to 100km/h, particularly in the westernmost part, from 6pm today until midnight Sunday.

Regarding sea disturbances, the orange alert is in effect from 21:00 today until midnight Sunday, with waves from the northwest reaching 5-6.5 meters and a maximum height of 11 meters.

The island of Porto Santo is on a yellow alert for rough seas from 3pm to 9pm today, and will change to orange until 12pm on Sunday.

The IPMA has also issued a yellow warning for rain or showers in Porto Santo between 3pm and 9pm today, as well as strong winds gusting to 90km/h until 6am Sunday.

The mountainous areas of Madeira Island will be under an orange alert for heavy rain from 12:00 to 18:00 today and very strong winds gusting to 120 km/h from 18:00 today until midnight Sunday.

An orange warning – the second-highest severity on a three-point scale – is issued whenever a “moderate to high risk weather situation” occurs, and a yellow warning occurs when a risk situation arises for certain activities that are dependent on the weather situation.