Santa Cruz de Tenerife 4 Mar. (Europa Press) –
The Cabildo de Tenerife has reopened the TF-38 (Chío) road leading to the Teide National Park on the morning of Tuesday, March 4. However, access routes to La Orotava (TF-21) and hope (TF-24) remain closed due to the presence of icy patches on the roadway.
Furthermore, the TF-445, which runs from Buenavista to the Faro de Teno, is also shut as a precaution. The closure of these routes will remain in place until conditions are deemed safe for travel, as stated by the Cabildo de Tenerife in a press release.
Rosa Dávila, the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, has informed that the southern access has been reopened, but the public is advised to exercise “extreme caution when travelling,” given the forecast suggesting that “rain and snow may continue today and tomorrow, albeit with reduced intensity, meaning that the routes to hope and La Orotava will stay closed for safety reasons.”
Additionally, Blanca Pérez, the island’s councillor for natural environment, sustainability, safety, and emergencies, along with Civil Protection technicians, held a meeting with officials from the Canary Islands government to monitor the adverse weather conditions.
Pérez indicated that the forecast for Tuesday includes rain, although “it will not be as severe” as it was on Monday. She noted that “rain is expected in the northern area, with possible showers, and there is snowfall on Teide.”
She highlighted that nearly 80 litres have been recorded in Tegueste and 90 litres in Sauzal. “The intensity will diminish, and Aemet plans to lift the yellow warnings tonight (at 9:00 p.m.), but monitoring must continue. Although we won’t have the rainfall we experienced in recent days, there is still a chance of snowfall and rain tomorrow. As conditions improve, we will deactivate all preventive measures we’ve put in place,” she stated.
She further noted that the upcoming days are expected to bring “cold and rain, but not in pre-alert situations.”
Pérez also conveyed that the Aemet forecast has been communicated to the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, given the anticipated rain, which is expected to ease in the afternoon during the carnival events.
Preventive Measures
Following the Decree of Prealert for rainfall and snowfall issued by the General Directorate of Emergency of the Canary Islands Government, based on Aemet’s predictions, the Cabildo implemented various preventive measures. At 00:00 hours on Sunday, March 2, the Insular Emergency Plan of Tenerife (PEIN) was activated due to adverse weather phenomena affecting the island.
To ensure public safety, all forest tracks under the jurisdiction of the Cabildo de Tenerife were closed, and access to trails in Teide National Park leading to the peak was prohibited from 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 1.
The Cabildo de Tenerife encourages municipalities to consider implementing preventive measures based on the warnings received and advises the public to follow the self-protection guidelines issued by the Civil Protection authorities.
In the Teide National Park, preventive measures involved restricting access from 4:00 p.m. on March 1 on path No. 7: White Mountain-Pico Teide, specifically the segment between the summit of White Mountain and the junction of paths No. 7 and No. 11 at the Fortress viewpoint; along with path No. 9: Teide – Pico Viejo – TF-38 Road, from the confluence with path No. 38 (black caves) to its intersection with path No. 12 (Mirador de Pico Viejo).
Access restrictions also apply to all of path No. 10: Tellesforo Bravo, path No. 11: Mirador de la Fortaleza, path No. 12: Mirador de Pico Viejo, path No. 23: black regattons, and path No. 28: Chafarí.
Regarding the restriction of access to woodland areas, these prohibitions went into effect at 4:00 p.m. on March 1, barring circulation and entry to forest and trails due to the Arafo forest fire in 2023, as there remains a “high risk of landslides.” This includes a continued ban on access and travel along the VM 2.1 track from the TF-24 road at PK to the GR-131.
Other areas affected include the track of seven fountains, VM 2, in its remaining open sections, and the road to Candelaria (from Aguamansa to La Crucita) from the GR-131 to the TF-24; as well as along PK 29, VM-17, from the TF-21 road to the shepherds’ stone.
The Cabildo de Tenerife emphasises that should there be prohibitions on certain road sections due to the forecasted adverse weather, then access restrictions will also extend to forest tracks connected to those road portions with restricted vehicle circulation.
This restriction applies to residents, companies, and other agencies or administrations unrelated to the council area managing the mountains, protected natural spaces, as well as those related to the prevention and extinguishing of forest fires.
In conclusion, they clarify that the restrictions “do not prevent residents or visitors from accessing and staying in homes, farms, and establishments open to the public, including their parking areas.”
