Weather forecasts are issuing a stern warning as the relentless high temperatures continue their grip on the entire Canary Islands archipelago, with expectations that it will persist until the end of next week. Rosa Dávila, the president of the Island Council, conveyed this message from the advanced command post overseeing the ongoing firefighting efforts in the northern part of the island.
As this heatwave shows no signs of relenting, it’s imperative for residents and visitors alike to exercise patience and take necessary precautions. This includes wearing appropriate clothing and, crucially, staying well-hydrated. The extended duration of this heatwave, surpassing even the heatwaves experienced last summer, is raising eyebrows among meteorologists, especially as autumn has already begun.
Yesterday, the highest recorded temperature across the archipelago was a sweltering 37.6 degrees Celsius in Tasarte, a town in the municipality of La Aldea de San Nicolás on Gran Canaria. This temperature, while oppressive, was only surpassed in the whole of Spain by Zumárraga in Guipuzcoa, which reached a scorching 43.6 degrees.
The impact of this abnormal heatwave is evident across all the Canary Islands, as evidenced by the top five warmest locations confirmed by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
Tasarte’s 37.6 degrees led the way, followed by 35.9 degrees in Llano de Los Loros (La Laguna), 35.6 degrees in Tazacorte (La Palma), and 35.2 degrees in both Arico (Tenerife) and Tinajo (Lanzarote). In essence, the five hottest spots were spread across four different islands.
Additionally, the highest wind gust in Spain was also recorded in the Canary Islands, specifically in the municipality of Tijarafe, reaching a speed of 79 kilometres per hour at two o’clock in the morning.
Today, all eight Canary Islands are under a yellow alert for high temperatures from 10 am to 7 pm. Furthermore, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are also under a warning for suspended dust particles until midnight, an extension that will include Gran Canaria tomorrow.
The maximum temperatures projected for today will exceed 34 degrees Celsius in south and west-facing areas, as well as parts of the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz-La Laguna.
For tomorrow, Saturday, La Palma will be the island least affected by the heatwave, remaining outside of Aemet’s warnings. However, the rest of the archipelago will continue to be on yellow alert from 10:00 to 19:00 hours. No significant temperature changes are expected.
Looking ahead to Sunday and Monday, similar conditions are expected, with persistent heat and haze, particularly in the eastern islands. Weather models suggest a “low probability” of rainfall in inland areas of the more mountainous islands.
The Directorate General for Public Health is maintaining orange warnings (indicating a major health risk) today in Los Llanos de Aridane and El Paso (La Palma), while Adeje (Tenerife), Vallehermoso, and Valle Gran Rey (La Gomera) are under a yellow warning (indicating a risk).
The situation is most severe in Agaete, Agüímes, Mogán, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, La Aldea de San Nicolás, and Santa Lucía de Tirajana (Gran Canaria), where red warnings (indicating the highest level of risk) are in place, along with the municipalities of Pájara (Fuerteventura) and San Bartolomé (Lanzarote).
