LISBON, March 7 (AFP) - Three people were killed and two others are missing following a storm which battered the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira for the past several days, regional authorities said Wednesday.

The bodies of two unidentified men, probably tourists, were found Tuesday in the Sao Vicente area in the north of the main island. The two men were among the four occupants of a car that was swept away in a flood, the Portuguese press reported.

The search continued Wednesday to find the car and its other two occupants. The third victim was a woman killed when her house collapsed. Mudslides caused by heavy rains have destroyed six houses on the island, leaving dozens homeless. The civil protection service lifted its state of alert Wednesday, saying the weather should improve. But it urged travellers to be cautious.

For more than a week heavy winds have caused the cancellation of flights at Funchal International Airport. Several thousand tourists have experienced flight delays of up to 24 hours.