The Canary Islands Government has upgraded the wildfire risk across five islands as the current spell of hot weather intensifies, with temperatures forecast to reach 36°C across large parts of Tenerife’s forested mid-altitude areas and potentially climb even higher in Gran Canaria.
The alert comes into force at 10:00am on Tuesday, 8 September, and covers Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, as well as designated areas of Gran Canaria.
In Gran Canaria, the alert applies to north-facing areas above 600 metres and western, southern and eastern slopes above 400 metres.
The decision has been taken by the regional government's Directorate General of Emergencies under the Canary Islands' INFOCA emergency plan, following updated meteorological information from AEMET and other available sources.
Authorities say the tropical-style heat episode affecting the islands is intensifying, bringing a particularly dangerous combination of high temperatures, low relative humidity and moderate winds.
Humidity could fall below 30%, significantly drying vegetation and increasing both the likelihood of fires starting and their potential to spread rapidly.
Temperatures could reach 37°C in Tenerife
In Tenerife, temperatures of around 36°C are expected across extensive forested mid-altitude areas in the west and particularly the south of the island, with more localised temperatures potentially reaching 37°C.
Northern mid-altitude areas are forecast to reach between 32°C and 33°C, with temperatures of around 34°C possible in parts of the northeast.
The extension of the alert is significant because it now encompasses the wider forested area of Tenerife, including the north, as authorities reinforce preventative measures across the island.
Gran Canaria is expected to experience some of the most difficult conditions. The Government says the most adverse combination of heat, low humidity and wind will be concentrated in the mountains and mid-altitude areas of the southwest of the island.
Gran Canaria is already under an alert for maximum temperatures, while the rest of the Canary Islands remain under prealert for high temperatures.
La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro also affected
Conditions will also deteriorate across the western islands.
La Gomera could see temperatures of 34°C to 35°C around the summits, rising to between 36°C and 37°C in southern mid-altitude areas sheltered from the prevailing wind.
In La Palma, temperatures could reach 35°C around the Caldera de Taburiente, with approximately 34°C forecast across large areas of the northwest and around the island's higher ground.
El Hierro could experience temperatures above 34°C or 35°C across extensive areas of the summits and south, while temperatures above 32°C are expected across much of the island's forested territory.
Low humidity is also forecast in the summits and higher mid-altitude areas of the western islands.
The hot conditions will be accompanied by calima, with Saharan dust expected to become more widespread across the archipelago on Tuesday.
The Government is urging residents and visitors to exercise extreme caution and avoid activities that could accidentally start a fire.
People visiting rural, mountainous or forested areas should also check local restrictions before travelling, particularly as individual Cabildos may introduce preventative measures in response to the increased fire risk.
The authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and further changes to alerts remain possible depending on how the heat episode develops.
