A ‘storm’ is coming to the Canary Islands on New Years Day
The Canary Islands will begin 2026 under a blanket of yellow weather warnings as Storm Francis, the sixth named ‘storm’ of the season, moves across the archipelago on New Years Day, Thursday 1st January.
AEMET forecasts strong winds reaching 80 km/h across the islands, with gusts on Tenerife’s highest peaks potentially exceeding 90 km/h. Heavy rain, thunderstorms, and rough seas are also expected.
AEMET warns that the storm will bring locally heavy showers across all islands, with the most intense downpours likely on the southern and western slopes of Tenerife and Gran Canaria from west to east during the morning and early afternoon.
Thunderstorms are also possible in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura later in the day. Strong southwesterly gusts will impact high ground and exposed slopes, and coastal conditions will be hazardous in several areas.
Here is a breakdown of the alerts by island:
GRAN CANARIA
Four yellow warnings are in place: rain, thunderstorms, wind, and coastal conditions.
- Rain: 3:00pm – 8.:59pm, affecting the highlands, east, south, and west. Up to 20mm may fall in one hour, with up to 40mm possible in 12 hours in the highlands.
- Wind: 9:00am – 11:59pm, with gusts up to 80 km/h in high areas.
- Coastal Conditions: 2:00am – 3:59pm along the north coast, with southwesterly winds of force 7 (50–61 km/h).
- Thunderstorms: 3.00pm – 8.59pm across the highlands, east, south, and west.
TENERIFE
Four yellow alerts for rain, thunderstorms, wind, and coastal conditions.
- Rain: 9:00am – 2:59pm across all sides of the island, with up to 20mm in one hour and up to 60mm in 12 hours on the east, south and west slopes.
- Wind: 3:00am – 9:59pm, with gusts reaching 80 km/h, and locally above 90 km/h on the peaks.
- Thunderstorms: 12:00pm – 5:59pm in the north, east, and west.
- Coastal Conditions: 2:00am – 3:59pm in the metropolitan area, with southwesterly force 7 winds.
FUERTEVENTURA
- Rain: 6.00pm – 11.59pm, up to 15mm in one hour across the island.
- Thunderstorms: 6:00pm – 12:59am, affecting the entire island.
LANZAROTE
- Rain: 6.00pm – 11.59pm, with up to 15mm in one hour.
- Thunderstorms: 6:00pm – 12:59am across the island.
LA PALMA
Four alerts for rain, thunderstorms, wind, and coastal conditions.
- Rain: 9:00am – 2:59pm, with up to 20mm in one hour and up to 60mm in 12 hours, especially on west-facing slopes.
- Wind: 3:00am – 9:59pm, with gusts up to 80 km/h from the southwest in high areas and the east and northwest slopes.
- Thunderstorms: 12:00pm – 5:59pm in the north, east, and highlands.
- Coastal Conditions: 2:00am – 2:59pm along the west coast, with force 7 winds.
LA GOMERA
- Rain: 12:00pm – 5:59pm, with 20mm possible in one hour on southwest-facing slopes.
- Wind: 9:00am – 9:59pm, with southwest gusts up to 80 km/h in high areas.
- Thunderstorms: 12:00pm – 5:59pm, affecting the entire island.
EL HIERRO
- Rain: 12:00pm – 5:59pm across the island, with up to 20mm in one hour on southwest-facing slopes.
- Wind: 9:00am – 9:59pm, with southwest gusts up to 80 km/h in high areas.
- Thunderstorms: 12:00pm – 5:59pm across the island.
Travellers and residents are advised to stay updated with official forecasts and take precautions, particularly in exposed coastal and highland areas. Storm Francis will make for an unsettled start to the New Year, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and the risk of localised disruption across the Canaries.
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