Calima Gran Canaria today: Saharan dust forecast & air quality

Calima in Gran Canaria

Last year, Gran Canaria monitored levels of particulate matter in the air at 13 monitoring stations. On 16 days, the average reading across all stations exceeded 50 micrograms of PM10 per cubic metre of air. These are particles measuring ten micrometres in diameter. Whilst the EU specifies a daily limit of 50, Gran Canaria even recorded levels exceeding 100 on three days.

The highest Calima levels of the year were recorded in November. On 24 November, the figure for the island reached 269 micrograms. At the San Nicolás station in Las Palmas, the figure was as high as 445 micrograms – the highest daily reading ever recorded across the Canary Islands.

The east of Gran Canaria faces the African coast and is the first to be affected when easterly winds blow. The north, around Las Palmas, on the other hand, is more frequently under the influence of the trade winds. These act as a protective shield. On certain days, the two sides of the island differ significantly in terms of Calima weather conditions.

Calima forecast for Gran Canaria – how we measure it

The Calima forecast is based on the European Union’s Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS). This calculates the distribution of Saharan dust and particulate matter in the air up to five days in advance. The figures are updated every three hours. On Gran Canaria, there are separate monitoring stations for this purpose: one in the north near Las Palmas and one in the south near Maspalomas.

An official Calima day must be characterised by high dust concentrations, with the majority of the particulate matter in the air originating from the Sahara, rather than from shipping or road traffic. Air quality is then classified on a scale ranging from ‚good‘ to ‚extremely poor‘. This classification is governed by the European Air Quality Index.

Teneriffa News has verified the model against all measurement data from 2025. The measurements were accurate. The forecast above was trained using this data and is regularly reviewed. As of September 2026, three stations on Gran Canaria are transmitting data: Agüimes, the Temisas Observatory and San Agustín in the south of the island.

What you should bear in mind during Calima on Gran Canaria

The Canary Islands Health Authority recommends avoiding prolonged stays outdoors during a Calima event. You should also ensure you drink plenty of fluids. Physical exertion should be avoided, particularly outdoors. This advice is aimed primarily at children, the elderly and people with asthma, COPD or cardiovascular conditions.

According to the authorities, the dust dries out the airways. During Calima, coughing and bronchial problems are common. You can view the health authority’s recommendations in full (in Spanish) here.