Calima today: forecast and readings for the Canary Islands

Calima: Saharan dust over the Canary Islands

A Calima in the Canary Islands is caused by dust from the nearby Sahara. It is carried across the islands by easterly and south-easterly winds. The weather conditions are evident from a brownish-yellow tinge in the air. Visibility is also affected and can sometimes be severely reduced. After a Calima episode in the Canary Islands, vehicles and outdoor terraces are covered in fine, yellowish-red dust.

During severe Calima conditions, air traffic is also disrupted, as was the case at the end of March 2026, when the dust brought operations at several airports in the Canary Islands to a standstill. Find out how a Calima forms here.

A Calima event is measured by the presence of fine particulate matter in the air. PM10 – that is, particles with a diameter of less than ten micrometres – has been set at a daily limit of 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air in the EU. On normal days, levels in the Canary Islands are well below this threshold. In 2025, an average of around 20 micrograms was recorded across all monitoring stations. During severe Calima events, levels rise to five times this amount or more.

Calima in the Canary Islands

The eastern islands, situated closer to the Sahara, are generally the worst affected. On Fuerteventura, particulate matter levels exceeded the limit on 17 days in 2025, with levels exceeding 100 micrograms on seven of those days. El Hierro recorded the lowest levels, with five Calima days. The worst situation of the year affected almost all the islands at the end of November. On Gran Canaria, the average reading across the monitoring stations on 24 November reached 269 micrograms. This resulted in the following picture:

All values are in micrograms per cubic metre.

The number of days on which the average reading across all monitoring stations on an island exceeded the EU limit of 50 micrograms of PM10 per cubic metre of air was recorded. The second column shows the days on which this figure exceeded 100 micrograms – meaning the limit was exceeded by more than double. From this threshold onwards, the European Air Quality Index classifies the air as ‚very poor‘. The maximum value indicates the highest average reading of the year, along with the date. The data is based on the daily readings from the Canary Islands‘ air monitoring network.

How we forecast Calima

Our Calima forecast is based on the European Union’s Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS). This service calculates Saharan dust and particulate matter up to five days in advance. The figures are updated every three hours; for Tenerife and Gran Canaria, they are also broken down separately for the north and south. The classification follows the European Air Quality Index.

Teneriffa News has verified this classification against measurement data for every day of 2025, as well as against his own Calima reports since the start of 2025. All Calima weather conditions classified as ’severe‘ were identified.

Health: Advice from the authorities during a Calima

When a Calima weather system affects the Canary Islands, the Ministry of Health recommends avoiding prolonged stays outdoors. People should also ensure they drink plenty of fluids. In particular, the midday heat should be avoided as far as possible. The same applies to physical exertion, especially outdoors.

Particular caution is advised for children, older people and those with asthma, COPD or cardiovascular conditions. According to the Canary Islands Health Authority, the dust dries out the airways and can trigger coughing or lung problems. The full text of the Health Authority’s recommendations (in Spanish) can be found here.