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Wednesday, 21. October 2026
Canary Islands News

Rain warning issued for the Canary Islands; three islands on orange alert

An orange alert is in place on Thursday for El Hierro, La Gomera and the eastern part of La Palma. Calima is then expected to worsen air quality on several islands.
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  • The AEMET has issued an orange alert for Thursday for El Hierro, La Gomera and the east of La Palma.
  • In the east of La Palma, up to 100 millimetres of rain over a 12-hour period and up to 30 millimetres per hour are possible.
  • A severe Calima will reach Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura on Thursday and move on to Tenerife and La Gomera on Friday.
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The Spanish Meteorological Agency AEMET has issued a warning for Thursday in the east of La Palma, forecasting up to 100 millimetres of rain in twelve hours. For El Hierro, the east of La Palma and La Gomera, an orange alert is in force from 00:00 to 17:59. The weather service is forecasting heavy showers and possible thunderstorms in these areas. At the same time, Saharan dust is drifting over several of the Canary Islands.

In the east of La Palma, up to 30 millimetres of rain per hour is possible on Thursday. The AEMET also forecasts up to 30 millimetres per hour for El Hierro and La Gomera. The probability of the forecast rainfall is between 40 and 70 per cent.

On Wednesday, yellow rain warnings are in place for the east of La Palma, La Gomera and the whole of Gran Canaria from 7.00 am until midnight. On Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, they are in force from 7.00 am until 5.59 pm. In these areas, up to 15 millimetres of rain per hour is possible. On Tenerife, the yellow alert is in force from 10.00 am on Wednesday until 5.59 am on Thursday; on La Palma, it applies to the mountainous regions and the west until 5.59 pm on Thursday. On Tuesday afternoon, the AEMET had already issued an orange alert for El Hierro for several hours.

Calima: Poor air quality affects four Canary Islands

The Calima forecast, based on the Copernicus CAMS model and measurements from the European Environment Agency, indicates strong Calima on Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura on Thursday. The daily average PM10 level is 58 micrograms per cubic metre on Gran Canaria and 52 micrograms on Fuerteventura. Air quality is poor on both islands.



On Friday, the severe Calima will move towards Tenerife and La Gomera. The forecast predicts a daily average PM10 concentration of 63 micrograms per cubic metre for Tenerife and 58 micrograms for La Gomera. Air quality will be poor there too.

Rain and thunderstorms in the higher elevations of La Palma and Gran Canaria can cause large volumes of water to flow down the barrancos to the coast. Particular caution is therefore advised in and around these ravines. The fine dust can irritate the eyes and respiratory tract on La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. People with respiratory or heart conditions, the elderly and pregnant women should avoid physical exertion outdoors and keep windows and doors closed.

How strong is the Calima today? Calima forecast and readings for the Canary Islands

This article

«Rain warning issued for the Canary Islands; three islands on orange alert»

LocationsEl Hierro · La Palma · Lanzarote

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