The Regional Secretary of Health stated yesterday (28th September) in Angra do Heroísmo that the Government of the Azores “is taking all steps to address” the situation resulting from Hurricane Lorenzo and “providing effective support to all occurrences that may occur”.

Teresa Machado Luciano spoke at a press conference to present “the evolving situation regarding the passage of Hurricane Lorenzo through the archipelago”.

The President of the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Protection Service of the Azores (SRPCBA) said that “according to the IPMA, it will be the eastern part of the hurricane that will have the most intensity, thus affecting the Central Group more aggressively”. However, this is “a projection that may change over the next few days”.

Carlos Neves said that Civil Protection “is making contacts with all Civil Protection agents and all entities with responsibility in this area, such as Municipalities, Municipal Civil Protection Service, Regional Directorate of Public Works and Communications, Regional Directorate Health, Armed Forces, PSP, all elements that can contribute to the

“We will also increase prehospital emergency capacity on islands that have only one Health Center, namely Graciosa and Flores, with the activation of the SIV service,” said the President of SRPCBA.

“At Pico and Faial, the SIV service will cover 24 hours and we are checking with the Regional Health Directorate to reinforce some more island health facilities,” he added.

Meanwhile the IPMA estimates that Hurricane Lorenzo is “more than 80 percent,” to hit the Azores with gusts of up to 150 kms per hour and waves exceeding 20 meters.

Hurricane Lorenzo has set a record for being the strongest ever to make it so far east in the Atlantic Ocean.

Hurricane Lorenzo, Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, according to the IPMA statement, was yesterday at 09:00 UTC (10:00 am in Lisbon), 2510 kms southwest of the Azores and moving to north / northwest at a speed of 17 kms per hour.

IPMA forecasts for the western group of the archipelago (Flores and Corvo Islands), according to the latest available data, south quadrant wind gusts up to 150 kms per hour, heavy rain and southwest waves with “significant height between 10 and 12 metres”.