The mishmash of meteorological conditions in the Canary Islands, with alerts activated for high temperatures, the presence of calima (Saharan dust), gusts of wind up to 90 km/h, and forest fire warnings, have been overshadowed over the past 36 hours by the strong waves that caught residents of coastal towns in the east and southeast by surprise.
The videos and images online support residents' claims that they witnessed the flooding of some streets and homes, to the extent that they haven't seen anything like it for 40 years.
The combination of the sea conditions and strong winds - resulting in waves reaching up to 3 or 4 metres high - along with spring tides due to the full moon, caused the sea to wash out beaches, seafront promenades, and roads close to the coastline, penetrating inland.
The overnight high tide at around 3:00am caused damage in coastal areas, affecting over 20 homes in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and La Palma, among others. Nearly 50 residents were evacuated from areas in Candelaria, Güímar, Arico, El Rosario, and Arafo, as well as the San Cristóbal neighbourhood of Gran Canaria, and others in La Palma.
Throughout the day, residents took the opportunity to clean up, assess damages, and try to protect their properties before proceeding with preventive evacuations as a precautionary measure.
VÍDEO | El agua del mar entra por las calles de Arico durante la madrugadahttps://t.co/nL8hdxdhaS pic.twitter.com/QnCFZ2b0gt
— El Día (@eldia) April 10, 2024
The Tenerife Cabildo ordered the preventive evacuation of 60 homes in Arico and 70 in Güímar. About 100 people have been relocated, mostly with family and friends, with seven housed in facilities provided by the Red Cross and the Arico City Council.
In Candelaria, the most evident consequences were seen in Patrona Square and at Viuda Beach, where one home was affected. In Arico, homes in Las Maretas were also affected by the strong waves, meanwhile, in Güímar, the Punta Prieta-El Tablado road was closed, affecting around fifty people.
Este es el estado actual del paseo en el Barrio Marinero. @BomberosLPA realiza labores de acondicionamiento y evaluación de la zona. pic.twitter.com/xGdL71JBeJ
— Policía Local LPA (@PoliciaLPA) April 10, 2024
