Just days after the Spanish mainland begins to recover after weeks of bad weather, the Canary Islands archipelago, off the coast of North Africa, is now also set for a battering. Multiple yellow, even orange, weather warnings have been issued for all seven of the islands.
Alerts have been issued for strong winds, with maximum gusts up to 55mph across much of the western islands, and heavy rain of up to 15 millimetres per hour. Tourists hoping for a beach day will also be left disappointed, with rough seas with force 7 winds and waves of four to five metres expected. The warnings are set to remain in place from early on Thursday (April 3) to late on Friday.
Tenerife
Tenerife will face one of the biggest batterings, with high winds and rough seas. An orange warning for strong winds will be in place from 5 am local time on Thursday (April 3) until 9:59 pm on Friday.
Westerly winds are expected to produce maximum gusts up to 55mph, mainly affecting the northwest. This includes Mount Teide, where occasional hurricane-force gusts are possible. A yellow alert, with gusts up to 44mph, is anticipated for the east, south, and west of the island and the Metropolitan Area.
The whole island should also brace for rough seas, with westerly or southwesterly winds of 31 to 38mph (force 7), mainly affecting the southeast and northwest coasts. This will be in place from 9 am local time until 4:59 pm on Thursday.
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria will face all the warnings, including an orange warning for strong westerly winds affecting the northwest and exposed midlands from 12 p.m. on Thursday to 11:59 p.m. on Friday.
For the same period, the east, south, and west of the island will be under a yellow wind warning. Gusts up to 44mph are set to affect exposed areas on the southern slope.
A yellow coastal warning will also be in place from 9 am until 4:59 pm on Thursday. Westerly or southwesterly winds of 31 to 38mph (force 7) will mainly affect the southeast and northwest coasts.
Lanzarote
Lanzarote, the easternmost of the archipelago, will not escape the bad weather, with a yellow alert issued for strong southwesterly winds of up to 44mph. They will mainly affect inland areas.
This will remain in place from 3 pm to 11:59 pm on Friday.
Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura will get off reasonably lightly compared with its neighbours, facing a yellow weather alert of strong winds from 3 pm to 11:59 pm on Friday. Southwesterly winds with gusts up to 44mph are expected to mainly affect inland areas.
La Palma
La Palma, the most northwesterly island, will face an orange weather warning for strong westerly winds affecting mainly mid- and high-altitude areas. It will be in place in the east, west and peak regions of the island from 5am on Thursday to 9:59 pm on Friday.
It will also face heavy rains, with as much as 15 millimetres predicted to fall in one hour, mainly affecting mid-mountain areas and peaks. It will be effective from 12 pm to 4:59 pm on Thursday.
Finally, rough seas, with westerly or southwesterly winds of 31 to 38mph (force 7), mainly affecting the southeast and northwest coasts. In place from 9 am on Thursday to 6:59 pm on Friday, combined northwesterly seas could reach four to five metres.
La Gomera
La Gomera will face an orange weather warning for strong westerly winds affecting mainly mid- and high-altitude areas. It will be in place across the island from 5am on Thursday to 9:59 pm on Friday.
It will also face heavy rains, with as much as 15 millimetres predicted to fall in one hour, mainly affecting the northwest midlands and peaks. It will be effective from 3pm to 7:59 pm on Thursday.
Rough seas are also to be expected, with westerly or southwesterly winds of 31 to 38mph (force 7), mainly affecting the southeast and northwest coasts. In place from 9am on Thursday to 2:59 pm on Friday.
El Hierro
Finally, El Hierro, the farthest south and west island, will not escape the battering, either. An orange weather warning for strong westerly winds affecting mainly mid- and high-altitude areas is in place from 5 am on Thursday to 9:59 pm on Friday.
It will also face heavy rains, with as much as 15 millimetres predicted to fall in one hour, mainly affecting the northwest midlands and peaks. It will be effective from 3pm to 7:59 pm on Thursday.
Finally, rough seas, with westerly or southwesterly winds of 31 to 38mph (force 7), mainly affecting the southeast and northwest coasts. In place from 12pm on Thursday to 6:59 pm on Friday, combined northwesterly seas could reach four to five metres.
