Madeira expat 'upset' over homeland flooding

A Madeira expat, who lives and works in Gloucestershire, said he was "really upset" when he heard about the flooding and mudslides on his homeland.

Joao Camacho, who runs Atlantic Holidays in Gloucester, specialises in holidays to Madeira and has a couple of shops that were flooded and a number of staff affected in Funchal.

"Coming from a small community we know almost everybody there," said Joao, "and I have had friends that have had their business very much damaged.

"Anybody with a business in the centre of Funchal has been affected and it's very sad.

Local authorities on the Portuguese island have said that at least 32 people have been killed in floods and mudslides following torrential rains.

Sixty-eight others were reported to have been taken to hospital for treatment.

According to Portuguese media, the storms were the deadliest on Madeira since October 1993, when eight people died.

MADEIRA FACTS Autonomous region of Portugal with population of around 250,000 Lies just over 480km (300 miles) from West African coast The European continent is more than 900km away

The main city, Funchal, and other towns and villages on the south coast are thought to have been worst affected after strong winds and heavy rain early on Saturday caused flooding and landslides.

"Everybody is in a state of shock because this is something that nobody was expecting," added Joao.

"We have got five members of staff working on the island and they have been in touch with all our customers and I can assure the relatives of our customers that everybody is safe and in good sprits.

"Madeira is famous for its mild climates and a storm of this magnitude has never happened before so everybody is upset."