How long will the extreme heat remain in the Canary Islands?

With temperatures up to 35 degrees at the end of March with a calima, the weather forecasts confirm a “thermal anomaly” with extreme temperatures for this time of year in the Canary Islands, due to the arrival of a mass of hot air.

Yesterday, Tuesday, the Ministry of Health issued a notice to the population because of the calima coming over from West Africa, so, at least for a few days, we will have to deal with high temperatures.

The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has issued a  weather warning for today for high temperatures in the south of Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, where it is expected to reach 34 degrees and on the south-facing slopes of the rest of the islands where it is expected to reach between 30 and 32 degrees.

AEMET has also activated two more warnings for today: one due to very strong gusts of wind on the summits and southern, eastern, and western slopes of La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, and Gran Canaria, and another due to haze throughout the islands.

By Friday the calima will be widespread with intense suspended dust in the air, which will especially affect the midlands and high areas of the islands, although it will begin to subside in the afternoon in the eastern islands (Lanzarote and Fuerteventura).

The heat will remain the same in most places, except for in Gran Canaria where maximum temperatures of 35 degrees are expected, and the hot wind will continue from the northeast being moderate to strong.

WHEN WILL THE HEAT SUBSIDE IN THE CANARY ISLANDS?
The temperatures will start to drop slightly from Saturday when clearer skies will prevail as the calima subsides.

On Saturday the heat will be somewhat less intense since a drop in temperatures of between three and four degrees is expected meaning it will be a more comfortable 28 to 30 degrees in the south and west of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Sunday will be fresher as the weather returns to what we normally expect in Spring in the Canary Islands.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH ISSUES AN IMPORTANT NOTICE BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF CALIMA:

The Ministry of Health recommends that the population of the Canary Islands take several precautions due to the arrival of a calima, such as avoiding being outside too long unnecessarily, keeping windows and doors closed, and participating in physical exercise outdoors.

Remember that ‘dust in suspension’ contributes to drying out the respiratory tract and, on many occasions, can cause an aggravation of conditions or symptoms related to breathing difficulties and respiratory diseases, such as asthma. During a calima there are more visits to A&E by people with chronic obstructive disease (COPD) and, in some cases, hospital admissions.

Exposure to this pollutant can cause chest pains, coughing, palpitations, fatigue, or increased susceptibility to respiratory infections, for at least five days after the onset of the calima.

For this reason, it recommends the following measures to people sensitive to this type of episode, such as children, the elderly and people with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular diseases:

- Do not go out and keep the doors and windows of the houses closed.

- Clean the surfaces with dust with damp cloths.

- Stay in humid environments and hydrate.

- Do not perform physical exercises outside.

- If respiratory symptoms worsen, call 1-1-2.