The Canary Islands Government has declared yellow weather warnings for today (Monday) due to a calima bringing suspended dust to the eastern islands (Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria), rains and storms in the western islands (Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro), and strong winds in all of them which will continue into Tuesday.
Rain:
According to the General Directorate of Emergencies, persistent and widespread rainfall is expected in La Palma and El Hierro, with an accumulation of up to 20 litres per square metre in one hour and 80 litres in 12 hours, starting from midnight last night. Meanwhile, in La Gomera and Tenerife, the rains were expected around 3am this morning, forecast to last until 6pm this afternoon.
Calima and haze:
The alert for haze starts from 10:00am this morning (Monday 26th December), with an intense concentration of between 500 and 2,000 micrograms per cubic metre in Fuerteventura, and less intense in Gran Canaria and Lanzarote of between 200 and 500 micrograms.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, the suspended dust from the calima will affect all of the eastern islands, in the same way, leaving visibility of less than 1,500 metres.
Winds:
The wind alert will be activated from 6:00am tomorrow (Tuesday) when it is expected to blow from the east and southeast at speeds of up to 60km/h in low areas and on coasts, and up to 90lm/h at higher altitudes and summits of the more mountainous islands.
They are not ruling out that in some places, hurricane gusts (greater than 120 km/h) due to leeward accelerations cannot be ruled out. The most intense gusts of wind will affect the northern and western slopes of the islands.
Safety recommendations due to strong winds:
The General Directorate of Emergencies and Security recommends closing doors and windows to prevent breaking and falling glass, and removing pots and any objects that may fall from balconies and roof terraces.
You are advised to avoid going on excursions or camping until it subsides, and use public transport instead of bikes, scooters, or mopeds.
It is also recommended that you avoid walking through wooded areas and keep a safe distance away from the coast (beaches, promenades, piers breakwaters, etc) to avoid being blown into the sea by the wind or dragged into the water by the waves.
For any other advice or information call the telephone number 012. To report any emergencies call the telephone number 112.
