The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 6th September 2023
by Mike Evans
A very good day to you all in the region. As l write this report we are experiencing a lot of different weather and climatic occurrences. After the past couple of weeks of very hot temperatures, and the start of some well needed rain, we now have an earthquake measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale that was recorded this morning(Tuesday) in the Algarve. The earthquake was registered at 1:49 am, with an epicentre located approximately 100 kilometres south-southwest of Faro , according to the IPMA. Let’s hope we don’t see a plague of locusts as well!
In all seriousness, the many faces of summer across Southern Europe have seen a number of different scenarios which have included some heavy flooding in Spain and France as well as record temperatures in Greece. Wildfires in many countries are causing massive damage. More than 3.400 firefighters were battling 130 fires in our own country. Temperatures were above 40ºC in some regions of the country, and authorities said wildfire risks would remain “very high or at maximum level across the entire state” over the coming days.
We are also seeing massive flooding in some countries. In Slovenia, which has seen unprecedented storms and flooding, the death toll has climbed to six, police said on Monday, as clean-up operations continued with help from neighbouring countries.
Prime Minister Robert Golob has described the torrential rains and severe flooding that hit the Alpine country of two million as its worst natural disaster since independence three decades ago.
The unusual weather pattern is not just in Southern Europe, The storm “Hans” is forecasted to arrive in Norway Monday afternoon or evening. The rain has already begun, resulting in flooding in a commuter parking lot located outside Oslo. As a consequence, several cars in the lot were submerged underwater due to the flooding of the adjacent riverbed. And, after experiencing a remarkably wet July, Denmark continues to endure weather more reminiscent of autumn than summer. The downpour and storm that started on Sunday first affected the eastern island of Bornholm before reaching the capital city, Copenhagen, on Monday.
Global warming is cited by experts for some of these phenomena but in the case of wildfires especially here in Portugal it is usually as a result of carelessness or people starting fires intentionally. At least the rains we are now experiencing will help keep the wildfires down to a minimum.
Now a look at some of the news from around the region in the past week.
GNR Seizes Weapons and Drugs in 3 Day Operation
The GNR seized 23 weapons, 16 of which were collectibles, and more than 1,800 doses of drugs in operations carried out in the district of Faro , between Thursday and Sunday, the police corporation revealed this Monday.
Over the last week, the operations also led to the arrest of 91 people, 41 of which were related to driving with excess alcohol in their blood, 18 for drug trafficking and 17 for driving without a legal licence, revealed the GNR in a statement.
At issue were operations to “prevent and combat violent crime, road inspection, among others”, which led to the seizure of 1,372 doses of cocaine, 407 of hashish, 66 of heroin and 41 of cannabis, said the same source, As for weapons, two rifles with telescopic sights and one without sights, a machine gun, a sawed-off shotgun, a pistol, a revolver, two air-pressure rifles and eight collector’s pistols, five collector’s revolvers, a collection and ammunition of various calibres, informed the GNR.
Two arrested for drug trafficking in Quarteira
On Sunday, September 3, the GNR arrested two men aged 27 and 36 for drug trafficking, in Quarteira ( Loulé ), said that security force.
As part of a patrolling action, the GNR soldiers ordered a vehicle to stop “which did not comply with the instructions and fled, with two occupants inside”, the GNR said in a statement.
According to the GNR, steps were taken that allowed, moments later, to locate and intercept one of the individuals. During the action, a personal search and a search of the vehicle were carried out, revealing that one of the men “was in possession of a narcotic product”, namely cocaine, which led to his arrest in flagrante delicto. Police investigations continued and, a few hours later, “the second occupant was located, who was also detained”, details the GNR. The action resulted in the seizure of 1,250 doses of cocaine, two cell phones and 90 euros in cash.
The detainees were made defendants and were present at the Loulé Judicial Court for the application of coercive measures.
PJ investigates origin and destination of 1.1 tons of hashish seized this week
The Judiciary Police (PJ) is investigating the origin and destination of the 1.1 tons of hashish seized on Friday, the 1st, in the south of Portugal and investigating the connection to international drug trafficking networks of the two detained men.
“We do not know the destination of the approximately 1.1 tons of hashish because we are dealing with groups that operate anywhere, carrying out their risk analysis and, depending on the information on the ground, they unload both in Portugal and in Spain,” said the director of PJ de Faro .
The Portuguese authorities, in a joint action between the National Maritime Authority ( AMN ), the Portuguese Navy and the Air Force, seized 1.1 tons of hashish this morning and detained two men during an action to combat drug trafficking, in international waters, south of Portugal. Speaking to journalists at a press conference at Cais Comercial de Faro, the director of the PJ of Faro said that “the way the drugs are packaged indicates that we are dealing with a different ‘modus operandi’ than these groups”. “These bales have different characteristics from the usual ones”, highlighted Fernando Jordão.
The official added that the PJ “will now carry out investigative actions, namely the exchange of information with other countries, to determine the origin and destination” of the narcotic product. According to Fernando Jordão, the increase in high-speed boats off Portuguese waters “works like a platform, where the opportunity to carry out unloading is awaited, which could be in Portugal or Spain.
According to the commander of the Southern Maritime Zone, Mário Figueiredo, in the operation called “Porta closed” three high-speed vessels were seized, one of which contained 41 bales of hashish and another with around 20 jerrycans of fuel. Of the six boat crew, French, Spanish and Moroccan nationalities, aged between 24 and 48, the authorities detained the two who were on the boat with the drugs, and the rest were identified, said the official.
The operation took place around 80 nautical miles, approximately 148 kilometres south of Portugal, in international waters. An Air Force aircraft, two Navy ships and three high-speed boats participated in the action, one of which was operated by marines. According to that commander, “the boats’ crew tried to escape, but ended up being intercepted by the authorities and were not armed nor did they resist arrest”.
In the opinion of Mário Figueiredo, the increase in seizures of high-speed boats, drugs and arrests of those allegedly involved in drug trafficking, “is due to greater vigilance by the Portuguese authorities, which increases the risk of networks opting to unload the drugs in Portugal”
Tourist boat with more than 10 crew runs aground in Benagil Cave
A tourist boat, with more than a dozen crew members on board, was stranded inside the Benagil cave , in Lagoa. The incident happened on the afternoon of Saturday, September 2nd, around 3 pm, during one of the usual tours of the cave.
The National Maritime Authority (AMN) received the alert and sent help but when they arrived, the boat had already been freed with the support of other tourist vessels that were in the area. The episode lasted around 20 minutes and, despite the scare, no one was injured.
The captain of the port of Portimão, Eduardo Pousadas Godinho, issued a notice banning the activity of visiting the caves, in the area under the jurisdiction of this captaincy, between Vale da Lapa beach and Fontainhas beach, in order to “guarantee the safety of these visitors and these activities”, The measure, which came into force at eight am this Sunday, will remain in force for 48 hours.
The closure is related to an “expected worsening of weather conditions” , with wind that can reach 20 knots, around 37 kilometres per hour, and waves up to two metres high.
Last Friday, September 1st, a collision between a maritime tourist vessel and a kayak had already been recorded, resulting in a serious injury. A seven-year-old child who had to be hospitalised with multiple injuries.
The Benagil caves are one of the most visited tourist attractions in the Algarve and, due to the disorderly navigation in that area, accidents are frequent. It is for this reason that access to the geological formation in Lagoa, considered “one of the most incredible natural caves on the planet”, will have stricter rules.
The Government intends to create “a multidisciplinary working group with the mission of establishing the human carrying capacity and determining access conditions” to the site, according to the order published in Diário da República this Wednesday, August 30th.
The objective is to “face the need to protect and prevent risk situations for people’s safety, especially considering the high erosion that has occurred in that area, which requires the definition of rules of use for visitors, to reinforce your safety.”
Three people die following van crash in Vilamoura
A crash near Caminho dos Pinheiros Mandos, in Vilamoura, municipality of Loulé , caused the death of three people this Monday, September 4th. The circumstances under which the mishap occurred are yet to be determined.
According to the Faro District Relief Operations Command, the alert was given at around 1 pm and occurred close to an industrial park. A van somehow crashed into a pine tree in the early afternoon yesterday, near the Industrial Zone of Vilamoura, killing all three occupants.
A GNR source revealed that the three victims were all men aged between 34 and 46 years old. The individuals aged 34 and 46 are Portuguese, the 45 year old man is Brazilian. They were the only occupants of the vehicle.
Emergency services tried to resuscitate the men on arrival, but they were declared dead at the scene.
The GNR , through the Criminal Investigation Center for Road Accidents (NICAV), will investigate the circumstances of the deadly crash, which are unknown at the moment.
Firefighters from Loulé and Albufeira, the Portuguese Red Cross, INEM and GNR were on site , totaling 18 operational personnel.
And finally, A RADAR ON EN125 IS ONE THAT FINES THE MOST IN PORTUGAL
The radar located at km 102 of the EN125 in Faro, in the West-East direction is one of the five radars that have recorded the most infractions in Portugal, according to the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR).
The other four are: the A1 radar, at 188.6 km in Coimbra, heading South-North; the A4 radar, 0.1 km away in Matosinhos, east-west; the A29 radar, 40.9 km away in Vila Nova de Gaia, heading South-North and the A23 radar, 18.6 km away in Vila Nova da Barquinha, heading East-West.
The use of speed cameras is one of the most effective ways of monitoring excessive vehicle speeds. For this purpose, there are different types of radars.
Since Friday, there have been 37 more devices nationwide to control speed, two of which are installed in the Algarve. One in Faro on the EN125-10 and another in Albufeira on the A2. There is, however, a radar that was already operational on EN125, in Faro, which was identified as one of the five in which there are the most infractions nationally.
Until the next time Stay Safe and Keep your Speed Down!