Spain weather warning latest as Canary Islands raise alert level
The Canary Islands government has raised the state of alert as heavy rain results in road closures and sewage issues
UK tourists are warned of heavy rainfall in some parts of the Canary Islands as the local government raises the alert level from ‘pre-alert’ to ‘alert’ in the island of La Palma. Yellow warnings for rain in El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera are currently in force.
On Saturday the Canary Islands government raised the alert level for La Palma due to heavy rainfall, which resulted in ‘isolated incidents’ affecting roads and sewage. The island of El Hierro remains in a state of ‘pre-alert’.
The alert was heightened at 9pm on Saturday, March 29, taking into account forecasts shared by Aemet, Spain’s national weather agency.
In a statement on its website, the Canary Islands government said: “Very heavy rainfall, especially in the northeastern midlands of La Palma, with accumulated precipitation of more than 30 mm, is causing some isolated incidents in the area's municipalities.
“A tree fell on a road in El Paso, rockfall on the road to Puerto de Tazacorte, and sewage system problems due to saturation in San Andrés and Sauces.”
Both residents are tourists and are urged to follow the government’s self-protection measures, which includes avoiding driving during heavy rain and staying at home where possible.
Yellow warnings for rain are currently in force for El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera. These remain in place on Monday, with Tenerife also being placed under a warning.
Forecasting for Sunday, Aemet said: “Locally heavy rain is likely in La Palma and El Hierro during the early hours, with occasional thunderstorms possible, as well as on the western slopes and inland areas of La Palma, El Hierro, and La Gomera in the late hours.”
Looking ahead to Monday, forecasters said: “Locally heavy and showery rain is likely during the early hours of the morning in the western islands, especially on the western slopes and inland areas.”
In mainland Spain and the Balearics, a few weather warnings remain after the north east of the country was battered by strong winds on Saturday.
Yellow coast warnings are in force near Girona and Tarragona, as well as Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraltar.
An amber coastal warning is in place for Majorca with winds of up to 60km/h and waves of up to five metres. Menorca is also covered by an amber coastal warning for waves of up to 9m, as well as a yellow warning for wind gusts reaching 70km/h.
Forecasting for Sunday in Spain, Aemet said: “A generally stable situation will remain in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands under the influence of an anticyclone centered in the north of the Iberian Peninsula.
“Clear skies will predominate or with some intervals of high clouds, with cloudy skies only occurring in the morning in the eastern Cantabrian Sea and upper Ebro region.
Forecasters added: “Moderate northerly and northeastern winds will continue in the northeastern third of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, with periods of strong winds and very strong gusts in the Empordà region, the Pyrenees, the lower Ebro River, Menorca, and northern and eastern Mallorca.
“Winds may also be expected in other parts of the Ebro Valley. In the rest of the peninsula, winds will be predominantly easterly and northeasterly, light to moderate, with periods of strong winds and very strong gusts in the Strait of Gibraltar and the coasts of Galicia.”