The Canary Islands Embrace Summer Early in April with Temperatures Reaching 38 Degrees

Canarias has embraced summer two months ahead. The episode of high temperatures that has covered the Islands with a thick haze has raised the thermometers throughout the Archipelago above 30 degrees, with some points reaching highs of 38 degrees.

From early morning, the thick haze that clouded the horizon across the Canary Islands foreshadowed a temperature increase that did not take long to make itself felt. The cool sea breeze that the Canaries had been accustomed to in recent weeks changed to a drier, stale, and hot one, managing to raise the thermometers to historic highs for April.

Specifically, the airport in Tenerife South, one of the stations with the longest series in the Archipelago, recorded 38 degrees, breaking its historical maximum for the month of April by 2 degrees. La Aldea de San Nicolás, in Gran Canaria also reached 38 degrees. The thermometers in what is already considered one of the hotspots of heat in the Canaries have reached 38.3 degrees, making the small municipality in the west of Gran Canaria the hottest place in the Canary Islands.

With this heat, it is no wonder that the Canary Islands as a whole have become Spain’s oven. The 10 highest temperatures in the country have been recorded in the Islands.

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Six times more concentration of haze

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In addition to the heat, the other great protagonist of the day has been the haze. The suspended dust not only increased the feeling of heaviness and drastically reduced visibility but also put the health of the Canarians at risk. According to the Control and Surveillance Network of the Canary Islands Government, the concentrations of particles less than 10 microns (PM10) reached up to six times the daily recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).

This organisation recommends that exposure to PM10 should not exceed 50 micrograms per cubic meter per day. However, in areas like Agüimes (Gran Canaria), the daily average stood at 300 micrograms per cubic meter.

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A girl cools off in the pond in the Plaza de la Candelaria, in Santa Cruz. / Andrés Gutiérrez

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In the north of Tenerife, the daily average concentrations exceeded 200 micrograms per cubic meter, in Santa Cruz, they exceeded 140 micrograms per cubic meter, and in the south of the island – the most affected area – the suspended dust has remained at an average concentration of 400 micrograms per cubic meter. In some points, such as Granadilla, this indicator reached 900 micrograms per cubic meter during the night.

Thursday has been the peak of the heatwave episode, but this does not mean that it will cool down in the Canary Islands in the coming days. In fact, according to Aemet’s delegate, David Suárez, although temperatures will gradually decrease, “they will remain higher than usual throughout the weekend.” In fact, there is expected to be a significant drop on Monday the 15th, but it may not happen that way. According to the latest forecasts, the episode could last at least one more week.

A year of extremes

The abrupt increase in temperatures has been caused by the entry of a warm and dry mass from the African continent, pushed by the winds of a high-pressure system displaced to the Peninsula. A situation that until 2020 was extraordinary, but as climate change gains ground, it is starting to become commonplace and is responsible for both the heat and the intense haze episodes that have been experienced since then.

Climate change is also responsible for the fact that the Canary Islands have been experiencing temperatures well above what is normal for over half of the year. According to an evaluation by geographer Dominic Royé, the Islands have experienced 57 days of extreme heat in the first 100 days of the year. “The Canary Islands are another world,” stated the researcher on his personal profile on the X network, insisting that only 3 of those days had temperatures below normal.

Canary Islands remain on high alert for the risk of wildfires in El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, as well as for high temperatures across the Archipelago and the pre-alert for dust haze in all the Islands.

Forest fire prevention

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In light of this situation, the Tenerife Council has activated level 2 measures for the prevention of forest fires and has banned outdoor fires, whether barbecues, bonfires, stoves or gas cookers. In addition, the use of any machinery or tools that may generate sparks (brush cutters, welding equipment or cutting grinders) has been suspended, and the use of any pyrotechnic material in high-risk areas is prohibited.

Likewise, the circulation of motor vehicles on the forest track network for recreational purposes is prohibited, as well as staying in recreational areas, camping zones, and campsites. Sports events and pilgrimages on forest trails and cross-country are also not allowed.

Therefore, the Council advises the population not to access or stay in forest areas, to take extreme precautions with any activity that may lead to fires, and to take self-protection measures against heat and dust haze.