A rough winter of 1997-98 was followed by serious flooding in the summer.
That would increase the threat of serious flooding and wind damage, they said.
In Belgium, serious flooding has led the government to put the army on alert.
It claimed 53 lives and caused huge material damage, including, in particular, serious flooding.
Serious flooding has occurred in the department in recent years.
The three main rivers through Funchal were often the cause of serious flooding.
Low lying areas of Upton suffered serious flooding in 2000.
Poor drainage has led to serious flooding, and the city is now building an expensive system for controlling storm water.
As rain continued to fall here and hundreds of miles upstream, officials said more serious flooding was inevitable.
The area, on high ground, was spared serious flooding.