"Abnormally warm" air mass reaches the Canaries with temperatures of 30° after the calima
The Spanish weather agency Aemet has issued a yellow warning for airborne dust on Sunday in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, as a widespread calima is expected to affect most of the archipelago over the weekend and into next week, with temperatures forecast to rise and visibility reduced by suspended dust and haze.
Today, Saturday, will have mostly clear skies, with light calima developing during the afternoon over the eastern islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Dust may also reach higher altitudes in the rest of the archipelago.
By tomorrow, Sunday, the calima is expected to thicken significantly at both coastal and mid-altitude levels, affecting the eastern islands early in the day and spreading to Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and the western islands by midday.
Skies will remain mostly clear, with temperatures continuing a gentle upward trend, especially on the northeast and southwest slopes. Winds will be light to moderate from the east on the coasts, while midlands and high areas will see moderate southeasterly winds, with strong intervals on northeast and southwest aspects in the first half of the day.
On Monday, the heavy calima is set to persist. According to Meteored, an “unusually warm” air mass from Africa will move in, when daytime temperatures may locally reach or exceed 30°C.
Island by island forecasts for Saturday 21st February 2026:
Lanzarote
Clear or mostly clear skies. Light calima arriving in the afternoon. Maximum temperatures rising moderately and potentially significantly inland; minimums rising slightly. Moderate northeasterly winds, lighter to moderate southeasterlies inland.
Temperatures: Low of 14°C and high of 25°C.
Fuerteventura
Clear or mostly clear skies. Light afternoon calima. Maximums rising moderately, with notable increases inland; minimums falling slightly. Moderate northeasterly winds, lighter to moderate southeasterlies inland.
Temperatures: Low of 14°C and high of 24°C.
Gran Canaria
Mostly clear, with some cloud overnight in low-lying northeast areas. Dust intrusion above 300–500 metres, leading to afternoon calima, especially on eastern and southern slopes. Maximums rising slightly to moderately, more sharply in highlands and midlands; minimums mostly stable. Moderate northeasterly winds in low areas, with strong intervals on southeast and northwest slopes early on; light to moderate southeasterlies in midlands and highlands.
Temperatures: Low of 6°C and high of 22°C.
Tenerife
Clear or mostly clear, with some overnight cloud in the northeast below 400–700 metres. Light high-altitude calima possible later in the day. Maximums rising slightly to moderately, more markedly along the Dorsal Ridge; minimums steady in low areas and increasing in midlands and high zones. Moderate northeasterly winds in low areas, with strong intervals on southeast and far northwest slopes early on; light to moderate southeasterlies in midlands and highlands.
Temperatures: Low of 16°C and high of 23°C.
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