Canaries wind warning: only Gran Canaria raised, so every island is now at least orange

The Spanish Meteorological Agency AEMET has raised the wind warning for Gran Canaria to orange; on Wednesday, it will remain in force across the whole island until 17.59. Every island in the Canary Islands is now at least at Orange level due to the wind, with the red level applying only to La Palma. The severe weather situation is therefore changing across the entire archipelago.

On La Palma, the Met Office is forecasting gusts of up to 130 kilometres per hour between 3.00 and 11.59. The south-westerly wind will mainly affect the peaks there, as well as the north-western and east-south-eastern slopes. An orange warning has been in place there since Tuesday at 18.00, with gusts of up to 110 kilometres per hour. The red storm warning for La Palma had already been in place before the warning for Gran Canaria was upgraded. From 12.00 pm to 3.59 pm, the alert level will be downgraded to yellow, with gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour.

For Gran Canaria, the AEMET is forecasting gusts of up to 100 and 90 kilometres per hour respectively. The areas most affected are the mid-altitude uplands and long stretches of coastline in the north-west and south-west. In the mountain peaks, wind speeds may exceed 110 kilometres per hour. From 9 am, a yellow rain warning will also be in place, with rainfall of up to 15 millimetres per hour. It will end at 7.59 pm, making it the longest-lasting warning of the day.

Tenerife: Wind and swell reach orange alert

On Tenerife, an orange alert has been in force since Tuesday at 9.00 pm in the north as well as in the east, south and west, and will remain in place until Wednesday at 1.59 pm. The AEMET forecasts gusts of up to 120 and 110 kilometres per hour respectively. The wind is strongest at higher altitudes, on the west coast and on the south-eastern flank; on the mountain peaks, it may locally exceed 130 kilometres per hour. In the greater Santa Cruz and La Laguna areas, a yellow warning is in force until 5.59 pm, with gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour.

An orange alert is in force until 12.59 pm along the coasts of Santa Cruz and La Laguna, as well as in the east, south and west, due to rough seas and winds of force seven to eight. On the north coast, the warning will change from orange to yellow at 7.00 am. In addition, the AEMET is warning of up to 20 millimetres of rain per hour across the islands from 6.00 am. A yellow rain warning for the Canary Islands had already been in place for several days.

Heavy rain on La Palma; an orange alert is also in place in the east of the Canary Islands

La Palma is the only island under an orange-level rain warning. From 3.00 am to 1.59 pm, rainfall of up to 30 millimetres in one hour and up to 60 millimetres in twelve hours is possible there. The eastern and western coasts remain on orange alert until 9.59 am.

El Hierro and La Gomera are on orange alert until 5.59 pm, with gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour. On El Hierro, the wind will mainly affect the higher ground and the coasts at the eastern and western tips; on La Gomera, it will affect large parts of the mid-altitude uplands and summit areas. For Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, the AEMET is forecasting gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour from 6.00 am until 5.59 pm. The weather service puts the probability at between 10 and 40 per cent there, and between 40 and 70 per cent on the other islands. The situation had previously been signalled by an orange wind warning for Wednesday.

Rain and thunderstorms in the higher elevations of La Palma and Gran Canaria can trigger flash floods in the barrancos, which can reach as far as the coast. Particular caution is therefore advised in and around the ravines.