LISBON (Reuters) -Portugal’s Azores archipelago cancelled all tourist and recreational activities for 24 hours and shuttered schools and public services on Thursday, urging people to stay indoors ahead of the arrival of cyclone Gabrielle.
Meteorological agency IPMA placed the islands on red alert – the highest emergency level, used only for weather events carrying extreme risk.
The environment secretary of the Azores’ regional government, Alonso Miguel, told reporters any activities along the coastline and in riverside areas were prohibited for the next 24 hours.
The hurricane, packing winds of between 130 and 200 kilometres per hour (81-124 mph), was likely to hit seven of the archipelago’s nine islands in the Atlantic Ocean during Thursday night and produce sea swells that could reach 18 metres (59 feet), according to the IPMA.
The Azores, known for their lush volcanic landscape, rainy weather and free-grazing cows, are home to about 250,000 people.
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
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