Over 1,400 lightning strikes recorded in just four hours as Storm Emilia intensifies
Storm Emilia continues to show its full force across the Canary Islands, with the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) recording more than 1,400 lightning strikes in just four hours on Saturday evening in northern Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
According to AEMET, the intense electrical activity was detected between the north and west of Gran Canaria and the northern part of Tenerife. The data was confirmed after the agency published its latest lightning map highlighting the severity of the storm system as it passed through the area.
Residents in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, including the Port of La Luz, reported frequent lightning flashes, thunder and heavy rain, creating dramatic and, at times, alarming conditions. Similar scenes were observed in northern Tenerife, where storms developed rapidly during the evening hours.
Meteorologists have warned that this level of lightning activity is a clear sign of strong atmospheric instability, consistent with the powerful weather system affecting the archipelago. The storms are being driven by Storm Emilia, which has already caused widespread disruption across the islands, including flight and ferry cancellations, flooding incidents, rescues, power outages and more than 1,000 emergency call-outs.
Although forecasts suggest that conditions should gradually improve as Storm Emilia weakens, emergency services continue to monitor the situation closely and urge the public to follow official weather warnings and safety advice while unstable conditions persist across the Canary Islands.
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