A calima and temperatures of 38 degrees are on the way

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) activated a yellow weather warning yesterday in the Canary Islands, starting tomorrow from 11am, due to high temperatures and adverse coastal phenomena from a calima. Maximum temperatures are expected to reach 34ºC in the south of Tenerife, specifically in the municipality of Arona; 38 degrees in Mogán in Gran Canaria, and 37 degrees in Pájara in Fuerteventura.

Haze is expected across the islands from today and will particularly affect higher areas, and several islands had the ‘sandy’ rain last night that a calima can bring. Although it will be light today, it will intensify throughout the afternoon getting stronger tomorrow.

The weather alert is also in place for strong waves and dangerous sea conditions in Tenerife and Gran Canaria, and high temperatures in the west of La Palma and all of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Gomera and El Hierro, where strong winds will blow from the north, with gusts on the northwest and southeast slopes, and high areas of the islands of greater relief such as La Palma.

May 2021 was the sixth driest May and the eleventh warmest so far this century. Specifically, it indicates that the average temperature of the mainland was 15.7ºC and that it had an average rainfall of 34 litres per square metre, which is 57% of the normal value with respect to the reference period 1981-2010, making it the twelfth driest May since the data began in 1961.

Also, the highest minimum temperature in May was observed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, since data began in 1931, with a minimum of 24.2ºC on the 21st of the month.