Orange rain warning in place for five Canary Islands on Sunday

From 9.00 pm on Saturday, the Spanish Meteorological Agency AEMET will raise the rain warning for La Palma to orange level; the wind warning for La Palma and the north of Tenerife will follow at midnight on Sunday; the orange rain warning for several Canary Islands will then remain in force until Sunday. Until midnight, up to 30 millimetres of rain per hour may fall across the whole island, with up to 100 millimetres expected within twelve hours. For the wind, an orange warning for La Palma and the north of Tenerife will apply from midnight on Sunday, with gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour expected there.

Saturday will start off with lighter conditions, but the warnings will be raised step by step as the day progresses. From 12 noon, a yellow warning will initially be in force for La Palma and the north of Tenerife, with gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour. At 6.00 pm, a yellow warning for rough seas will be issued for the west coast of La Palma, whilst south to south-westerly winds of force 7, with speeds of 50 to 61 kilometres per hour, will mainly affect the north-west there. At 9.00 pm, thunderstorms will develop over La Palma, along with gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour on El Hierro and La Gomera, both under a yellow warning. On Thursday, the agency had also issued yellow warnings for rain, wind and rough seas on La Palma for Friday and Saturday.

During the night leading into Sunday, the AEMET is extending the orange rain warning. It will be in force from midnight until 17.59 for El Hierro, La Gomera, the whole of La Palma and the whole of Tenerife. On La Palma, rainfall of up to 30 millimetres per hour remains possible; on El Hierro, La Gomera and Tenerife, up to 25 millimetres, particularly on the western and southern slopes. For all four islands, the agency forecasts up to 100 millimetres within twelve hours. From Sunday lunchtime, the warning will also apply to the eastern islands.

Gran Canaria: Orange rain warning in force from Sunday lunchtime

In Gran Canaria, an orange alert is in force from 12 noon until midnight for the mountainous regions, as well as for the east, south and west. The AEMET is forecasting up to 25 millimetres of rain per hour and up to 80 millimetres in twelve hours, with the heaviest rainfall expected on the western and southern slopes. During the same period, the north of Gran Canaria is on Yellow alert, as are Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, with up to 20 millimetres per hour; on Gran Canaria, this will be heaviest on the north-western slopes. The meteorological office has also issued a warning of thunderstorms for these three islands. In October, on a Thursday, the AEMET issued an orange alert due to heavy showers for El Hierro, the east of La Palma and La Gomera.

An orange wind warning is in force throughout Sunday for La Palma and the north of Tenerife. The south-westerly wind, with gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour, will mainly affect the mountain peaks, and on La Palma also the north-west and the east coast. A yellow warning, with gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour, is in place for El Hierro, La Gomera, the whole of Gran Canaria, the Santa Cruz area and La Laguna, as well as the east, south and west of Tenerife, particularly at medium altitudes and on the peaks. The AEMET has issued a thunderstorm warning until 17:59 on El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera and Tenerife, and a rough seas warning for the west coast of La Palma until 03:59. For all warnings, the meteorological office estimates the probability of occurrence at between 40 and 70 per cent.

When rain and thunderstorms hit the high ground of La Palma and Gran Canaria, the water collects in the ravines and rushes down as a torrential flood towards the sea. Storm Therese demonstrated just how quickly a Barranco can swell in the Barranco de Arguineguín in Mogán on Gran Canaria. Particular caution is therefore advised in the barrancos and along their edges.