A spectacular image of the calima in Tenerife captured from the air

The calima has taken centre stage in the Canary Islands weather for the last few days, which has been highlighted by a breathtaking aerial image of Tenerife captured by Stani Klajban, also known as The Piper Pilot.

Yesterday (Wednesday), the dust shrouding the islands was chosen as the 'image of the day' by the European Copernicus satellite, and today's perspective comes from the skies over Tenerife.

Stani Klajban, a Slovak pilot living in Tenerife, shared an awe-inspiring view of Tenerife from his aircraft on his social media channels. The photo shows a vast suspended dust mass covering the island, but due to the presence of the calima, only some mountainous areas and the silhouette of Mount Teide can be made out in the background.

Stani frequently shares captivating aerial images of the Canary Islands, ranging from traffic jams on the motorways to the vast sea of clouds over the archipelago. He has recently compiled a 2024 calendar featuring 12 of the most stunning photos of Tenerife, available for purchase online here, or at the Abades Los Moriscos station.

Sample of the Tenerife Calendar for 2024

The Calima subsides temporarily, but is expected to return
The concentration of suspended dust was highest in Gran Canaria yesterday, with over 1,000 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre) of inhaled air particles PM10 in Telde. Other reported concentrations include 763 µg/m3 in Candelaria, 440 µg/m3 in San Sebastián de La Gomera, 360 µg/m3 in Breña Baja, and 148 µg/m3 in El Hierro.

The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) predicts that today the calima will begin to diminish from east to west in the mountainous islands. However, this is expected to be a brief respite as the calima is forecast to return more intensely over the weekend and persist until the middle of next week.