canary islands

Storm in the Canary Islands: rain, snow, hail, cold, lightning, thunder, and incidents

The yellow warning for heavy rainfall is still active in the Canary Islands.

The isolated high-level depression, known as DANA, has brought a variety of weather phenomena to the Canary Islands, including rain, snow, hail, lightning, thunder, and cold temperatures, along with various incidents. Fortunately, there have been no reports of personal injuries so far. Remarkably, more rain has fallen in a single day than throughout the entire winter season. As of 14:30 yesterday, the 1-1-2 emergency service had registered 124 incidents since the onset of the rain on Friday afternoon.


The regional government has noted that many of these incidents involved landslides and rockfalls, particularly affecting roads in northern Gran Canaria, around the Anaga massif in Tenerife, and in various parts of La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. Access to the Teide National Park via La Esperanza and La Orotava, as well as to Roque de Los Muchachos on La Palma, has been blocked due to icy conditions and snowfall.

Although the roads in Tenerife were reopened after clearance operations, the Island Council advises residents to avoid trips to high altitudes and outdoor activities. The Tenerife Island Emergency Plan (PEIN) was activated on Friday as a precaution, with similar measures taken by the Santa Cruz City Council at the municipal level (PEMU).

Storm in the Canary Islands: rain, snow, hail, cold, lightning, thunder, and incidents

Sewer overflows have been reported in several northern municipalities of Gran Canaria, as well as in Fuerteventura (La Oliva and Teguise), Lanzarote (San Bartolomé and Arrecife), and Tenerife (metropolitan area, Candelaria, Arafo, and Güímar).

The emergency services have also responded to calls for water pumping from homes in Gran Canaria (north and Santa Brígida), Tenerife (metropolitan area and Güímar), and to a lesser extent, incidents of power outages in northern Tenerife and Barlovento (La Palma).

The General Directorate of Emergencies of the Canary Islands has updated the rain alert, extending it to the island of Tenerife from 12:00 this Saturday, based on information from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) and other sources, following the Specific Emergency Plan for Adverse Meteorological Phenomena (PEFMA).

The alert covers Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and Tenerife, while the rest of the islands remain on pre-alert. The yellow warning for heavy rain continues this Sunday on all islands except El Hierro. Aemet warns that the risk will persist until different times on Sunday across the islands, with expected rainfall of up to 20 mm per hour, mainly in the north.

Storm in the Canary Islands: rain, snow, hail, cold, lightning, thunder, and incidents

During the early hours of Saturday, the storm brought 38.8 litres per square metre of rainfall to Roque de los Muchachos, marking the highest accumulation recorded in Spain until 9:30 am. Wind gusts reached up to 90 km/h at Izaña and over 80 km/h at several other locations.

As temperatures fall nationwide but rise in the Canary Islands, the storm is expected to move northeastwards, approaching southern mainland Spain. Given the unpredictable conditions, Emergencies advises against unnecessary travel and urges caution during heavy rain, including moderating speed and avoiding waterlogged areas.

Additionally, it’s advised to stay clear of electrical appliances during power surges, avoid sheltering under trees during storms, and steer clear of coastal areas during high winds. Historically, such storms were known as ‘cold drops’, a phenomenon resulting from undulations in the polar jet stream.


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