Tourists soaking in the sun at top island resorts may soon have to pack their bags and head for safety as authorities issue seaside alerts ahead of turbulent weather.
The sun kissed beaches of the Canary Islands that attract millions of Brits a year are set to become much less appealing in a matter of days as inclement weather sweeps in, officials have warned. AEMET, the Spanish equivalent of the Met Office, has issued warnings about hazardous conditions this week set to impact holidaymakers staying at a cluster of resorts on the islands. Some of the most popular, including Tenerife and Gran Canaria, are most at risk as furious winds are set to whip up massive 6ft waves.
AEMET has issued yellow alerts for winds, expecting gusts to approach 40mph on the coast, triggering hazardous conditions out at sea. In two separate yellow advisories issued today, the service said “force seven” winds on the coast of Tenerife would last from 6pm this evening to 11.59pm.
The alert states: “Northeast winds of 50 to 61 km/h (force seven) on the southeast coast of Tenerife, southeast and west of Gran Canaria.” The yellow warnings follow a “pre-alert” issued by the service for Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and La Gomera on Saturday, as the Canary Islands government expected major winds to make landfall over the weekend and beyond.
The alert states: “The Government of the Canary Islands, through the Directorate General for Emergencies, updates the situation and declares a pre-alert for winds on all the islands, as of 16:00 hours today, Saturday 19 April.
“This decision is taken taking into account the information provided by the State Meteorological Agency and other available sources, and in application of the Specific Emergency Plan for the Canary Islands due to the Risk of Adverse Meteorological Phenomena (PEFMA).”
The warning affected El Hierro, La Gomera, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Palma, El Paso, coast of Garafía, Fuencaliente and Mazo, Tenerife, Coast of Buenavista del Norte, San Miguel, Granadilla, Arico, de Fasnia, and Güímar, Gran Canaria, Cumbres, and coast of Gáldar, Agaete, Artenara, La Aldea, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Agüimes, Ingenio and Telde.
The warnings come during an unsettled period for Spain, which has seen atypically gloomy weather in recent weeks, with temperatures declining and rain and cloud dominating. Over the next week, however, Spaniards’ fortunes look set to change, with the system responsible for the stormy conditions moving away soon.
Clearer skies and warmer weather rest on the horizon in Tenerife as soon as Wednesday following two days of expected rainfall, with the mercury approaching 30C by the end of the coming weekend.
Gran Canaria, which has seen more settled weather over the last few weeks, looks likely to hit the 30C mark in a few days, with sweltering highs forecast for April 27 and 28 following a week of cloud and sunny spells.
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