floods
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The heavy rain that fell in the Algarve this morning has caused disruption in Vila Real de Santo António, where several streets were flooded.

The water level rose so high that it flowed over side pavements in many streets, making them impossible to drive on.

Water even entered homes and businesses in some parts of the town, reports Lusa news agency, which adds that the worst of the floods were reported at Rua de Angola, Avenida dos Bombeiros and a considerable section of the town's historical centre.

The floods were caused by a heavy bout of rain between 6am and 8.30am. CDOS Faro, the regional command of rescue operations, told Lusa that the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) registered 42.1 millimetres of rain in the town in just one hour.


Also affected were the nearby towns of Altura and Monte Gordo. All in all, around 40 occurrences relating to the heavy rainfall were reported in the area.

A source from CDOS has confirmed that there are no reports of victims or serious consequences.

"In general, these were small floods, affecting municipal roads and some properties," the source said.

One local resident blamed the floods on rubbish clogging the storm drains.

The floods also caused traffic disruption in the town, with buses and taxis not available, which affected people trying to get to work.

"If a friend hadn't given me a ride, I wouldn't have been able to get to work today," said local Rosa Santos, who usually takes the bus to work.

Meanwhile, VRSA Council has released a statement to confirm workers of municipal company Ecoambiente are trying to unclog the affected drains.