Warnings of an impending hurricane and recommendations to stay in hotels and houses with doors and windows closed were issued to tourists and residents by the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies of the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. In the next few days, the most popular resorts of the Canary Islands will be captured by a powerful hurricane.
These are gale-force winds with an average speed of 70 km/h but in La Palma and Tenerife — more than 90 km/h. In addition, heavy downpours will hit the islands this week. The situation requires people to be careful, the agency warned. Residents and tourists are strongly advised to close the doors and windows of their homes and hotel rooms and stay away from trees, walls, and structures under construction to avoid possible life-threatening incidents.
The ministry appealed to people, reminding them of the risks associated with rough seas during storms: “Remember that during storms the sea takes on unusual conditions and can drag you in if you are in the vicinity. Don’t put your life at risk to photograph strong waves.”
Storm activity is forecast to begin Tuesday through Wednesday in the form of thunderstorms. The peninsula and the Balearic Islands are expected to be less affected than the Canary Islands. In light of the upcoming weather conditions, tourists should refrain from traveling by car on the specified days. However, if travel is unavoidable, extreme caution should be exercised, and avoid stopping in areas where large amounts of water may accumulate.
Extreme weather for the Canaries and statistics of vacationers
Heavy rain and wind are rare for this part of Europe, especially in June, as the Canary Islands usually enjoy 9-10 hours of sunshine a day. Meteorologist Jesús González Aleman noted that such storms in June on the islands are an unusual phenomenon and to a greater extent characteristic of the winter months.
We will remind you that the Canary Islands remain the third most popular tourist destination after Catalonia, which 1.5 million tourists visited in April, and the Balearic Islands, which visited 1.2 million vacationers during the same period.
As for the data on visits to the Canary Islands, last year in June they received more than 1.1 million vacationers, which is 21,408 less than in June of 2019. However, the total number of people who came to rest there for the first six months of 2022 amounted to 6.6 million people, which is 11.3% more than in the previous year 2019.
In the first four months of the current year, almost 4.9 million tourists visited the islands, which is 23.5% more than in the same period of 2022. In April 2023 alone, 1.2 million tourists visited the Canary Islands, which is 4.5% more than in the previous year.
Reference: The Canary Archipelago consists of the following islands:
- Tenerife is the largest island of the archipelago and the capital of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is located here.
- Gran Canaria is the second largest island and is known for its beaches and resorts.
- Lanzarote is an island with a volcanic landscape and breathtaking scenery.
- Fuerteventura is an island with white sandy beaches and good conditions for water sports.
- La Palma is an island famous for its mountain range, forests, and natural parks.
- La Gomera is an island with winding roads, deep gorges, and fertile valleys.
- El Hierro is the smallest and westernmost island of the archipelago, known for its volcanic landscapes and underwater world.