Autumn finally arrives as the heatwave leaves the Canary Islands

After two weeks of clear skies only made hazy by the calima, clouds have reappeared across the Islands. Some even brought some rain to the north of Tenerife - a region heavily impacted by the unusual heatwave we have experienced, much to the joy of its residents, farmers, and those fighting the longest-recorded forest fire in Tenerife. After two weeks of extreme temperatures, Autumn has finally arrived in the Canary Islands.

However, even though temperatures dropped yesterday, three locations in the archipelago were among the ten warmest places in Spain, as reported by the State Meteorological Agency.

Over the last two weeks, it has been a daily occurrence for the top ten warmest places in Spain to be in the Canary Islands, but yesterday, only Tasarte, in La Aldea de San Nicolás, Gran Canaria, claimed the top spot with 32.5°C, and Anaga and Adeje, in Tenerife, recorded 30.4°C each, making them part of the top ten according to Aemet.

The most notable development was the appearance of the first rain, albeit very light, in the northern half of the island. By late afternoon yesterday (Monday), 2.2 litres per square metre had been recorded in La Victoria de Acentejo, and 0.6 in San Juan de la Rambla, according to data from Aemet’s website.

These showers contribute to refreshing the soil affected by the ongoing forest fire, which, more than two months after it started in the mountains of Arafo and Candelaria, remains unextinguished. Although it was downgraded to level 1 yesterday due to improved atmospheric conditions, the island's authorities have prudently extended the forest fire alert in Tenerife until Sunday, October 29th.

Tuesday’s forecast:
The State Meteorological Agency's forecast for today suggests probable weak, scattered, and occasional rain in the highland areas of the islands, which may become moderate in the midlands of northeastern Tenerife during the central hours of the day. Temperatures will experience a slight to moderate drop, more pronounced inland in the south and east of the island.

Tomorrow, no significant changes are expected, with perhaps some rain late in the day in La Palma and El Hierro. However, on Friday, cloudy skies and precipitation are expected during the first half of the day and the early afternoon, according to Aemet's prediction. The Met Office doesn't rule out rain and occasional storms of some intensity on Sunday in the western islands due to a frontal system, although it is still too early to confirm this.