Nature rangers stationed on the Desertas Islands are safe, the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN) has confirmed, after a video showing torrential rain and large volumes of water flowing across the island went into circulation.
In a statement issued after 19:00 on Saturday, 7 November, the Institute said it remained in regular contact with the team, with backup communication systems in place. IFCN president Manuel Filipe said staff safety was a priority and that no situation put the rangers' lives at risk.
The team's accommodation is a solid timber building raised above ground to reduce the risks of heavy rainfall. The Institute added that adverse weather is common on the Desertas in winter and is factored into how teams operate there. It criticised the release of the footage without context, saying it had caused unjustified alarm among the rangers' families.
Madeira Legislative Assembly member Miguel Castro had questioned why the rangers were not evacuated ahead of forecast severe weather linked to Storm Bruna.