The sweltering heat as a result of the heatwave currently under maximum alert across the whole of Tenerife has drawn thousands of people to the beaches of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
During the morning of this Sunday, the Local Police closed access to Las Teresitas and Las Gaviotas as there was no space for another car.
By midday this Sunday, the queues to enter these two bathing areas near San Andrés had reached the Dársena Pesquera and many vehicles had to turn back and search for another place to cool off as the Local Police had closed the entrance via the fishing neighbourhood of Chicharrero.
Real-Time Information
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council reminds that there are two real-time information systems regarding the access to the main bathing areas of the capital. One specifically for Las Teresitas, launched last April, was not operational by midday this Sunday. The Council assured it was working to resolve the technical problem.
The other system is also available on the official City Council website, is active, and provides data about the situation of the main beaches in the capital: Las Teresitas, Las Gaviotas, Roque de Las Bodegas, Almáciga, and Benijo. According to this section under the title Degree of attendance and condition of beaches and maritime bathing zones, the car parks at the first two beaches were completely full.
Above 35 Degrees
The heatwave affecting all the islands is also being felt in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The maximum temperature recorded on Sunday morning at the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) was at 10:40 hours: 35.2 degrees Celsius.
Forecasts indicate that the heat will increase throughout the afternoon. The calima has also joined in, which increases the feeling of stifling heat. For this reason, the City Council has activated the maximum alert for heat and fire risks.
Suspension of Activities
This extreme weather has forced the Chicharreros authorities to suspend all outdoor activities that were planned, such as the Market. Additionally, staying and moving through the forest tracks of the Anaga massif is prohibited.
The Santa Cruz Council recommends to the public to “take extra precautions” due to the episodes of intense heat expected for this Sunday and the coming days, where temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees are anticipated.
The activation of the Municipal Emergency Plan (PEMU) entails a ban on lighting fires outdoors through bonfires, stoves, barbecues and gas cookers; smoking in recreational areas, camping zones, camps, paths and trails, roads, viewpoints and other public infrastructure; performing firework displays, as well as using machinery and tools that produce sparks.
Prohibitions in Forest Areas
The following activities are also prohibited: forestry practices, hunting, the use of motor vehicles on forest paths for recreational purposes, the use of recreational areas, camping zones and camps, staying in the mountains and traversing paths, forest tracks or off-road.
In accordance with these measures, access to the recreational park of Las Mesas will remain closed, an area that had already restricted the use of stoves in the recreational area since last Wednesday. This situation will remain until the maximum alert for extreme heat and the risk of wildfires has concluded.
The public is advised to take extra precautions, throughout the insular territory, regarding any activities that may generate fires, as well as to comply with the recommendations issued by the various public administrations with responsibilities in civil protection.
The Heat Will Continue in the Coming Days
The Canary Islands Government reports that, locally, temperatures equal to or exceeding 41 degrees in the interior of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and in the southern and western midlands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, it will be hot during the nights and early mornings in the interior, in the midlands, and the high areas, with minimum temperatures exceeding between 25 and 30 degrees.
Here are some recommendations for the public regarding the maximum alert for extreme temperatures:
