Portugal interior minister resigns after criticisms for storm protection efforts

Portugal's interior minister has stepped down in response to growing criticism of her government's response

to successive winter storms this season.

Maria Lucia Amaral resigned after concluding that she no longer possessed the personal and political conditions

necessary to hold the position."

Meanwhile, the country's prime minister urged residents in flood-hit areas to leave their homes after a dike partly collapsed in the central region of Coimbra.

Luis Montenegro said the partial collapse of the Mondego River dike would have a slow but growing flood effect "that will hit and is already starting to hit populations in the area of Coimbra as well as Montemor-o-Velho."

Authorities earlier recommended the evacuation of around 3,000 people living near the Mondego as rivers and dams reached critical levels.

An ongoing series of deadly winter storms have wreaked havoc on the nation of 10.7 million people, triggering floods, landslides and power outages.