He oven autumnal into which he entered Canary Islands the first day of October threatens to last at least one more week, until next Wednesday, October 11. The high temperatures, “unusual” for the time of year, are already leaving record values in some stations and today has arrived to touch 40 degrees in some points, including the airport area in southern Tenerife.
This meteorological situation is caused by the intrusion of a continental air mass that has settled on a ridge to the west of the Canary Islands and the Peninsula. This structure is characterized, according to David Suárez, delegate of the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) in the Canary Islands, by its great “stability”, which means that the weather does not change. That is to say, the heat has found the right conditions to settle in the Canary Islands in an unusual period of time. In addition to high temperatures, this long episode of high temperatures will also be accompanied by small “pulses” of suspended dust that will reach their maximum peak between Friday, October 6 and Saturday, October 7.
At the Tenerife North airport the thermal anomaly is six degrees
Today was the third day dominated by high temperatures. The south of Tenerife, specifically its airport, recorded the maximum temperature of the day with 39.2 degrees at 1:30 p.m., ranking as the second highest in all of Spain. He followed the Village of San Nicolásin Gran Canaria, which registered 38.6 degrees. In general, temperatures throughout the Archipelago are between 4 and 5 degrees above usual. In some places, however, the anomaly has reached up to 6 degrees, as is the case of the airport in Tenerife North, located in La Laguna
“We have had episodes like these at other times, but it is not usual for them to be so long and warm,” explains Suárez, who insists on how extraordinary this episode is being in the Islands. In fact, the Aemet is evaluating the episode to see if it consists of a “heat wave” outside the period in which it is normally studied. The entire Canary Islands remain, for this reason, in yellow notice due to high temperatures, which means that there will be areas of the Islands in which the thermometers will oscillate between 34 and 36 degrees of maximum.
Given this situation, the General Directorate of Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands declared the situation of forest fire risk alert on the islands of The iron, La Gomera at a height greater than 400 meters, The PalmTenerife in a risk zone established by the Island Council (except the area affected by the Arafo forest fire that remains in an Emergency Situation) and Gran Canaria at a height above 400 meters from this noon.
The alert means that, in the event that the wind blows strongly and temperatures are very high, the population should refrain from lighting fires outdoors, not even in barbecues, gardens or private plots. It is also prohibited to throw matches, matches and cigarette butts, as well as paper, plastic, glass or any type of waste in the mountains. In addition, in forest areas, it is prohibited to use brush cutters, chainsaws, welding groups or grinders.
For those people who want to enter the mountains, it is recommended to first know the terrain, communication routes, alternative paths and always try to walk in areas of high visibility. In the case of hiking, it is recommended not to leave the marked circuits, especially in the company of adults and children. It is also requested not to camp outside the areas designated for this purpose, especially in areas away from access roads because in the event of a fire you could be surrounded by fire.
