canary islands

Alert issued for arrival of Karlotta storm: could it impact the Tenerife carnivals?

The storm will last through Saturday and will affect the Canary Islands, including Tenerife amid carnival celebrations.

After a period of stable weather spanning several weeks, the anticyclonic blockade has come to an end. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has issued a warning about the impending arrival of the Atlantic squall named Karlotta. This weather system is anticipated to bring about an episode of intense winds, maritime storms, and precipitation lasting until Saturday.


The initial effects are expected to manifest late on Wednesday along the Galician coast, characterized by vigorous southwest winds and the onset of rainfall.

14 regions in Spain are in yellow and orange warnings

Thursday is projected to be the peak day of this weather episode, prompting the issuance of yellow and orange warnings across 14 Spain’s autonomous communities. On this day, rainfall is forecasted to spread across the western half of the peninsula and the western Pyrenees, with Galicia likely to experience the most intense and persistent precipitation.

In terms of wind, the northwest of the peninsula is poised to bear the brunt, with exceptionally strong gusts anticipated, particularly pronounced in the Cantabrian mountain range and Galicia, where speeds could surpass 100 km/h, accompanied by a potent maritime storm along the Galician coast. Additionally, very strong gusts are anticipated in the Pyrenees, the Iberian system, the Central system, and later in the day in the Betic systems.

The storm could reach the north of the Canary Islands on Friday

Alert issued for arrival of Karlotta storm: could it impact the Tenerife carnivals?

By Friday, the inclement weather may extend to the northern regions of the Canary Islands, in addition to affecting the entire Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. Heavier rainfall is expected in Galicia, the southwestern peninsula, and the Pyrenees, while precipitation may be lighter and less frequent in the Cantabrian region, the extreme northeast and southeast of the peninsula, the Balearic and Canary Islands.

Although the intensity of the wind is anticipated to diminish gradually, there remains the possibility of very strong gusts during the first half of Friday, particularly in the Cantabrian Mountains and Pyrenees. Conversely, wind speeds are likely to increase in the south, with probable very strong gusts along the coasts of Andalusia and Ceuta, accompanied by coastal storms in the Gulf of Cadiz, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Alboran Sea.


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