Rescuers en route to Madeira

Rescue workers are searching for missing people after torrential rains caused flooding and mudslides on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

Around 42 people are believed to have been killed and an unknown number are lost, raising fears that the death toll could rise.

The weather improved on Sunday following Saturday’s rains, making it easier for rescue workers to fully assess the damage.

Al Jazeera’s Andrew Potter reports.