The General Directorate of Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islandsbased on the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Response for Forest Fires of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands(INFOCA), has decreed the maximum alert for risk of forest fires in the four western islands and Gran Canaria.
Specifically, the measure affects the islands of The iron, La Gomeraat a height greater than 400 meters, The Palm, Tenerifein the risk zone established by the Cabildo -except the area affected by the Arafo forest fire which remains in an Emergency Situation– and Gran Canaria, above 400 meters in the southern zone and 200 meters in the northern zone.
It maintains the episode of high temperatures with a dry and warm environment associated with the Saharan air mass that has been affecting the Canary Islands since last October 1 and is producing an increase in maximum temperatures above 34ºC, possibly exceeding 37ºC locally on the south and southwest slopes. This mass of warm air will continue to affect the archipelago throughout the week.
The relative humidity will remain below 30% during this episode in the midlands and summits and minimum temperatures will barely drop below 24-25 ºC, except in high areas. The wind will be moderate from the east.
Likewise, the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, through the General Directorate of Public Health, has updated the issuance of notices and has put in place red notice until this Wednesday to the municipalities of Mogan, San Bartolome de Tirajana, The Village of San Nicolás and Santa Lucía de Tirajanain Gran Canaria, and San Bartolomein Lanzarote.
Besides, municipalities remain on orange notice from Adeje and Candelaria (Tenerife), Valsequillo (Gran Canaria) and Yaiza (Lanzarote) and in yellow Arico, Güímar, La Laguna and Tegueste (Tenerife), Agaete, Agüimes, Arucas, Firgas, The Gran Canarian palms, Santa María de Guía, Telde and Terror (Gran Canaria), Would do, Tinajo and Aunts (Lanzarote), Tuineje (Fuerteventura) and Vallehermoso and Valle Gran Rey (La Gomera).
Forecast
Regarding the forecast, the spokesperson for the State Meteorological Agency, Rubén del Campo believes that will have to wait until early next week to put an end to a warm episode in the archipelago that is already the tenth heat wave in October since 1975.
Given this situation, the Meteorology spokesperson warns of the forest fire risk “very high”especially in the Canary Islands, where temperatures will exceed 34ºC in large areas during the next three days.
For the moment, for this Tuesday the Aemet has activated the yellow warning for high temperatures in most of the Archipelago: only La Palma and Lanzarote are free from this level of risk.
