SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, December 16 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands intends to terminate the maximum wind alert status on the islands of El Hierro, La Gomera, and in the northern and western parts of Tenerife this Monday afternoon, as a preliminary measure before the onset of a haze episode.
At times, this haze may become dense and shallow, likely reducing visibility to less than 3,000 metres, which could lead to or worsen health issues for individuals with chronic or respiratory conditions, as noted by the Government of the Canary Islands.
Nevertheless, the pre-alert situation continues due to moderate southeast winds, with locally strong intervals in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, alongside potential very strong gusts that may reach or exceed 60-80 km/h in the midlands, high-altitude areas, and on the northern and western slopes of the islands.
Regarding sea conditions, a pre-alert has been declared due to coastal phenomena, with forecasts indicating winds from the southeast and east at force 5, with intervals reaching force 6, alongside predominant storm surges with local strong swells and waves from the south and west measuring 1 to 2 metres, combined with sea waves of 1 to 2.5 metres and spring tides.
Furthermore, the pre-alert situation persists owing to the risk of forest fires in Gran Canaria and the western islands.
Amid this meteorological phenomenon, 112 Canarias has seen a 20% increase in activity, managing approximately 530 incidents mainly related to the wind, predominantly in Tenerife and El Hierro.
Record high gusts were noted yesterday, Sunday, in Arure, La Gomera, at 139 km/h, and in Frontera, El Hierro, at 132 km/h. Today, Monday, Arure reported gusts of 129 km/h, Agulo at 128 km/h, and El Hierro recorded gusts of 117 km/h in the Pico Malpaso region.
The nature of these incidents primarily involved technical assistance connected with concerns regarding obstacles on public roads or urban furniture that pose a risk of falling onto public thoroughfares. This encompasses falling branches, palm trees, trees, traffic signs, Christmas decorations, fences, and telephone poles.
Additionally, there have been several landslides on the roads along with falling stones, and some boats encountered difficulties off the coast of the western islands.
Concerning incidents linked to power outages, as of 05:30 this morning, Monday, 10,330 subscribers were impacted. By island, Tenerife had the highest number of affected users at 10,011, followed by La Gomera with 300, La Palma with 11, Gran Canaria with six, and El Hierro with two.