Rain warning issued for the Canary Islands, with heavy gusts of wind also expected

From Saturday evening through to Sunday, the Spanish Meteorological Agency AEMET had an orange wind warning in force on La Palma, raising the alert level to orange for several of the Canary Islands. Between 9.00 pm and 5.59 pm on Sunday, up to 30 millimetres of rain per hour was possible across the whole island, and as much as 100 millimetres within twelve hours. Meteorologists expected such rainfall amounts to be most likely in the mid-altitude areas.

At the same time, the AEMET issued an orange wind warning for La Palma and the north of Tenerife, which remained in force until midnight on Sunday. Gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour are expected; the wind will be blowing from the south-west and will mainly affect the mountain peaks, as well as the north-west and the east coast of La Palma. From 12 noon on Saturday until midnight, a yellow alert was in force in both areas, with gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour.

The warnings continued to move from west to east. From midnight on Sunday, an orange alert was in force for La Palma and the north of Tenerife due to wind, in each case until 17.59, with up to 25 millimetres of rain per hour and less than 80 millimetres in twelve hours, particularly on the western and southern slopes; on El Hierro, La Gomera and the remaining areas of Tenerife, the alert remained at Yellow. From midday on Sunday, the warnings then extended to Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.

Canary Islands: Rain warnings issued for Gran Canaria and the eastern islands

A yellow warning was in force for the summit region, as well as the east, south and west of Gran Canaria, from 12 noon on Sunday until midnight. The AEMET forecasts up to 25 millimetres in one hour and less than 80 millimetres in twelve hours in these areas, again mainly on the western and southern slopes; up to 80 millimetres in twelve hours is not expected until Tuesday. During the same period, the north of Gran Canaria – particularly the north-western flank – as well as Fuerteventura and Lanzarote were under a yellow warning, with up to 20 millimetres per hour. All three islands were also under a yellow thunderstorm warning.

Yellow thunderstorm warnings are also in place for La Palma from 9.00 pm on Saturday until 5.59 pm on Sunday, and for El Hierro, La Gomera and Tenerife on Sunday from midnight until 5.59 pm. South-westerly gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour will affect El Hierro and La Gomera from 9 pm on Saturday, particularly at medium and high altitudes. The AEMET expects the same intensity throughout Sunday in the Santa Cruz and La Laguna areas, in the east, south and west of Tenerife, and across the whole of Gran Canaria. Due to rough seas, a yellow alert was in place on the west coast of La Palma from 6.00 pm on Saturday until 3.59 am on Sunday; winds there were blowing from the south to south-west at 50 to 61 kilometres per hour (wind force 7), particularly in the north-west. For all warnings, the authorities estimate the probability of occurrence at between 40 and 70 per cent.

Canary Islands: Earlier warning and danger from flash floods

There had already been an orange warning for the western islands earlier this autumn. On a Thursday in October, AEMET had issued an orange alert for El Hierro, the east of La Palma and La Gomera due to heavy showers, with the possibility of thunderstorms at the time.

Storm Therese in the Barranco de Arguineguín in Mogán on Gran Canaria demonstrated just how quickly a ravine can fill up during heavy rain. If heavy rainfall occurs in the higher elevations of La Palma and Gran Canaria, or if thunderstorms break out there, torrents can form which rush through the barrancos all the way to the coast. Particular caution is therefore advised in and around the ravines.