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The technology conference Web Summit in Lisbon will close its doors on Wednesday due to bad storms affecting Portugal.
It comes after a state of emergency was declared by the Portuguese government due to Storm Charles, which will close schools and non-essential public services.
“The Government of Portugal has formally advised Web Summit that, due to the risks posed by Storm Charles, including tidal flooding, severe disruption to public transport and the impact of high winds on external structures, Day 2 of Web Summit should not take place,” an email to attendees read.
This follows discussions with the Portuguese Government, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), and the Public Security Police (PSP).
“Web Summit will of course respect the Government’s direction, and accordingly, Day 2 (Wednesday, November 11th) will not take place.The safety and security of our attendees, staff and contractors is always our absolute priority,” the email added.
The summit plans to continue on Thursday, Web Summit said.
The concerns relate to high risks associated with coastal flooding, strong winds affecting external structures, and severe disruptions to public transport, according to the organisers of the technology fair taking place at FIL, in Parque das Nações
Lisbon Mayor, Carlos Moedas, suggested earlier on Tuesday that the tech summit should be cancelled, but left the decision up to the central government (MAI) and the organisation.
Schools and non-essential public services will therefore be closed tomorrow throughout the country, the Minister of Internal Administration announced in a briefing to the media this morning at the headquarters of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) in Carnaxide.
Access to the coastline, riverside areas and other flood-prone locations will also remain prohibited, “particularly in areas historically identified as being most vulnerable,” reads the statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Web Summit expects to receive close to 70,000 attendees, including 900 speakers, and more than two thousand startups.