STORM Charles has battered Europe with gale-force winds and biblical rain causing over 200 flights to be grounded across Portugal.
Schools and hundreds of supermarkets were forced to close as the intense storm drew in on Wednesday with streets turned into raging rivers.
The extreme weather is set to cause havoc across the entire country, which was slapped with an urgent red warning for torrential rain and destructive 99mph winds.
Flash floods have already struck the Portuguese island of Madeira, sending torrents of muddy water bursting through a swollen stream near Caminho Velho da Igreja.
Heavy machinery and emergency teams were deployed to clear debris-laden roads across the island as many streets were turned into raging rivers.
Torrents of rain battered Lisbon this afternoon, swamping streets as drivers struggled to get through floodwaters.
Pictures show a row of parked cars submerged up to their wheels.
The rough weather is forecast to reach most of southern and the Lisbon region into the evening.
As a precaution many hospitals altered or suspended surgeries as officials urged people to stay in their homes during the worst of the rain and the wind.
According to Net Weather, an official red alert covers the southern half of Portugal’s mainland and the Madeira archipelago.
People in areas under red alert can expect heavy rain, rough seas, and risk of flooding from river overflows.
The National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection warned of the possibility of floods, landslides, falling trees, slippery road surfaces and power cuts.
Residents should stay clear of flooded areas as there is a real risk of people and vehicles being swept away by powerful torrents, authorities warn.
Across the water, heavy downpours and high winds are expected to reach the Spanish islands by Wednesday afternoon.
The country’s weather service AEMET warned of “very serious” impact from heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas.
Large parts of the Canaries were placed on a high alert on Tuesday night as wind speeds are predicted to exceed 99mph.
The storm is carrying warm tropical air, meaning it will bring heavy rain, particularly in mountainous areas, with La Palma and Tenerife’s peaks expected to be the worst hit.
Officials say downpours may lash in the south and west of Tenerife as schools were shut and roads blocked as a result of the warning.
Holiday hotspots including Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura have been placed on a wind alert, where gusts could exceed 55mph.
Sea conditions will be hazardous around exposed shores, authorities say.
In central , authorities maintained the evacuation of more than 3,000 people in Piedralaves, who they removed from their homes on Tuesday due to the risk of a local dam overflowing.
The whole of the mainland, except for Asturias and Cantabria, were on alert on Wednesday for heavy rain or gale-force winds.
Rain will fall across almost the entire country, at times accompanied by storms, although the intensity will decrease the further north-east — except in the Pyrenees.
The fresh warning comes just days after Spain and Portugal were threatened by Storm Bruna earlier this week.
