A sudden levadia caught bathers by surprise at the Barreirinha Bathing Complex this afternoon, when a powerful wave swept over the pontoon and flooded the surrounding area.
Several people were forced to move quickly to higher ground and out of reach of the water.
The incident illustrates the unpredictable nature of levadias, sudden, unusually strong waves or surges, which have led to increased safety measures at Funchal’s bathing complexes in recent days. The red flag was raised at Praia Formosa on Tuesday, while swimming was also prohibited at Ponta Gorda on Monday afternoon because of the sea conditions.
Speaking to TSF-M, Marília Andrade, administrator of Frente MarFunchal, explained that the phenomenon is familiar to those who work on the beaches every day, but can easily catch bathers unaware because of the speed at which they develop.
“We can have calm periods lasting an hour, an hour and a half, or even two hours, and then suddenly a stronger wave appears, capable of flooding the solariums and dragging people away. Afterwards, everything returns to normal as though nothing had happened,” she explained.
At the first signs of changing conditions, the warning flag is normally changed to yellow and lifeguards increase their vigilance. If the levadia becomes intense enough to present a serious risk, the red flag is raised, and access to the sea is closed.
This procedure was followed at both Ponta Gorda and Praia Formosa. At Barreirinha, however, restrictions may vary according to the exposure of each area, the direction of the current and the waves. In some circumstances, one access point may be closed while another remains open.
Marília Andrade appealed to bathers to follow lifeguards’ instructions, even when the sea appears calm, and the restrictions seem unnecessary.
“If the lifeguard has raised the red flag and someone looks at the sea and sees that it is calm, that does not mean conditions are safe,” she warned.
The greatest difficulty is predicting when another series of more powerful waves might arrive. Once one or two waves have reached the structures, flooded the solariums or placed bathers at risk of being swept away, preventing further access to the sea becomes the priority.
“Sometimes people find it difficult to understand why access has remained closed for an hour when no more waves have entered. But we do not know when they will arrive either. We ask people to be understanding and to trust the work of the lifeguards,” she added.
Despite the recent incidents, the administrator gave a positive assessment of the bathing season. No accidents or serious injuries connected with the levadias have been reported so far.
Most incidents have involved tired swimmers, people experiencing difficulty leaving the water, and minor scratches caused by waves. “It has been a relatively quiet year in that respect,” Marília Andrade concluded.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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