Calima Tenerife today: Saharan dust forecast & air quality

Calima on Tenerife

The Canary Islands‘ monitoring network measures air quality at 20 stations. On 14 days in 2025, the average reading across all stations exceeded 50 micrograms of PM10 per cubic metre. These are tiny particles of fine dust in the air with a diameter of no more than 10 micrometres. 50 micrograms is the daily limit set by the EU. On three days, the figure was even higher than 100.

In 2025, the Calima days fell in January, August, September and November. This is by no means a benchmark, as the pattern was already different in 2026: from February to April, a Calima was recorded on 19 days. By the end of March, even air traffic to the Canary Islands had been affected. In 2025, there were 45 official Calima days; by 25 September 2026, there had already been 40.

The extent to which the Calima affects a particular place on Tenerife depends, in particular, on its altitude and which side of the island it is on. In summer, the dust often drifts in within a layer of warm air above the trade wind clouds. The low mountain ranges and the south are more severely affected than the north coast, which lies below the cloud cover, which acts as a protective layer for Puerto de la Cruz, the Orotava Valley and neighbouring municipalities.

How the Calima is measured and forecast for Tenerife

The forecast is based on the EU’s Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS). This service forecasts Saharan dust and particulate matter up to five days in advance. The calculations are updated every three hours. For Tenerife, measurements are taken separately at a point in the north near La Laguna and at a station in the south near Los Cristianos. If the readings on the two sides of the island differ by one level, both values are reported; otherwise, an island-wide average is used.

In the Canary Islands, a ‚Calima day‘ is defined as a day on which the model indicates a high concentration of dust, consisting mainly of sand. Particulate matter, such as that from ship exhaust fumes or motorways, is not included in this calculation. The classification ranging from ‚good‘ to ‚extremely poor‘ follows the European Air Quality Index.

Teneriffa News has tested the model against all the measurement data from 2025. It reliably reproduces the measured trend. Alongside the forecast, we clearly display the most recent measurement data from the air quality monitoring network.

On Tenerife, the station at Barranco Hondo near Candelaria, at an altitude of 396 metres, transmits data. This is supplemented by readings from NASA’s solar photometers. These are located in Santa Cruz, La Laguna and Izaña and measure the turbidity of the entire air column. This data is provided with a one-day delay. We incorporate it into our calculations and use it to progressively refine our forecasts.

Health advice from the authorities

The Ministry of Health in the Canary Islands recommends avoiding prolonged stays outdoors during Calima. It also advises drinking plenty of fluids and refraining from physical exertion outdoors. The advice is aimed primarily at children, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. High-risk groups include, amongst others, people with asthma, COPD or cardiovascular diseases.

According to the health authority, the dust dries out the airways and can cause coughing, bronchial and lung problems, and tiredness. You can find the exact wording of the health authority’s recommendations (in Spanish) here.