A change in weather is forecast in the Canary Islands this week, as a mini heatwave with temperatures of 33°C and a new episode of Saharan dust (calima) is expected in parts of the archipelago by Friday and over the weekend.
According to AEMET, there will be stable weather for most of the week following the recent cooler spell caused by the DANA weather system. However, conditions are set to change from Wednesday onwards as warmer African air moves in, bringing rising temperatures and haze.
The eastern islands, particularly Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, will be hit first and will experience the most noticeable calima conditions, as the weather system comes in from west Africa, and lighter haze will reach Tenerife and the rest of the western islands later in the week.
Meteorologists say temperatures will steadily increase across the Canaries, especially daytime highs. By Friday and into the weekend, parts of southern Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura could see temperatures exceed 32°C, with some inland and mid-altitude areas potentially reaching 34°C.
The outlook for the rest of the week
Tuesday is expected to remain relatively mild, with cloudy intervals in northern areas of the mountainous islands and a small chance of light rain, mainly in higher areas. Elsewhere, skies should stay mostly clear with moderate north-easterly winds.
From Wednesday, temperatures will begin to rise, especially inland, while light calima starts to affect Lanzarote and Fuerteventura before gradually spreading to other islands.
By Thursday and Friday, the haze is expected to become more noticeable in elevated areas and southern-facing inland areas, particularly across the eastern islands. Temperatures could surpass 30°C in parts of southern Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura before peaking at between 30°C and 33°C on Friday and over the weekend.
Health authorities are advising residents and tourists to take precautions during the calima episode, especially older people, children and anyone with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions. Recommendations include avoiding strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day, drinking plenty of water and keeping windows closed where possible.
Although this latest calima event is currently expected to remain relatively light, forecasters warn that conditions could intensify if Saharan air is pushed more strongly towards the islands later this week.
Forecasters at Meteored agree with the overall outlook but warn that weather conditions later in the week remain somewhat uncertain due to the possible formation of another DANA system near mainland Spain. Depending on its position, it could either trigger storms over northern Spain or further strengthen the flow of hot Saharan air towards the Canary Islands.
