Wildfire alerts have been issued for parts of the Canary Islands today, June 30, as an intense but short-lived heatwave pushes temperatures up to 40C in Gran Canaria. The warnings, issued by Spain's national meteorological agency Aemet, cover areas of El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
Heatwave and Fire Risk
The Canary Islands government stated that the fire risk index remains "very high," especially in Gran Canaria and La Gomera. An amber weather warning for heat has been issued for the southern half of Gran Canaria, where highs of 40C are expected. A yellow warning is in place for central Gran Canaria, with highs of up to 37C. Yellow warnings are also in force for the western half of La Palma, El Hierro, and the southern and eastern areas of Tenerife, where temperatures are expected to reach 34-37C. No heat warnings are in place for Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.
Precautions and Safety Measures
Residents and visitors are urged to take precautions to reduce the risk of forest fires. This includes not throwing away lit cigarette butts or matches and not leaving rubbish in forest areas. Anyone who spots a fire is told to call 112 and follow the instructions of the authorities. The alert came into force at 7am local time.
Strong Coastal Winds
In addition to scorching temperatures, the islands are expected to experience strong coastal winds. Yellow warnings are in place for the Western islands, with winds of up to 61km/h forecast. Lanzarote is also under a yellow alert for wind, with gusts of 70km/h predicted.
Forecast Details
Aemet predicted that on Tuesday, June 30, temperatures may exceed 37C in the southern midlands of Gran Canaria, with the possibility of reaching 40C in some areas. In the southern and western midlands of Tenerife and the summits of Gran Canaria, temperatures could reach 35-37C. The southern and western midlands of the westernmost islands and the southern Anaga region may see 34C. In the northern midlands of the mountainous islands and inland areas of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, temperatures may exceed 30-32C. Moderate to strong trade winds with occasional very strong gusts are expected on southeast and northwest slopes. In midlands and high areas, occasionally strong easterly winds, turning to light northerly winds on summits, are forecast.
Improvement Expected
The Canary Islands government said that "an improvement is expected from July 2." Conditions are expected to cool down on Wednesday, with nearly all warnings removed. However, a yellow warning for heat remains in place for the southern half of Gran Canaria, with highs of 34C predicted. No warnings have been issued for Thursday so far.
