In the early hours of Wednesday, following a night of intense rainfall, the Canary Islands awoke with an unusual calm. Clear blue skies and pleasant spring temperatures hinted at a serene day ahead; however, this tranquility belied what was to come as the sun set. Just before 6:00 p.m., one of the arms of Borrasca Olivier delivered a deluge of water that gradually spread to the other islands as the evening progressed, leading into a rainy night.
The onset of Olivier had been forecast earlier on Wednesday with the arrival of a cold front that brought significant rainfall overnight across different regions of the archipelago. The greatest impact from this initial bout – which was not truly Olivier but its precursor – was felt on the eastern islands.
This cold front, which had gained strength from the winds associated with Borrasca, unleashed heavy downpours particularly over Gran Canaria, where reports indicated up to 25 litres per square metre fell within just one hour in certain mountainous areas like Tejeda and the upper regions of Agaete.
Throughout the morning, several unexpected showers occurred across various parts of the islands; however, they were so brief that their impact on the rainfall figures was minimal. By around 4:00 p.m., the skies began to darken, yet Olivier did not rush to make its presence felt. With ominously dark skies looming, a storm threatened to unleash heavy rains – potentially flooding some locations – alongside winds of up to 70 kilometres per hour, hail, snow, and rough seas.
Home by La Palma
From Fuencaliente to Tijarafe, rainfall was steady from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.. Intense downpours resulted in almost 15 litres per square metre within just one hour, escalating to 30 litres per square metre over three hours that extended across nearly the entire region, and as the afternoon progressed, this rainfall reached the whole island. Even at the highest altitudes, that rain briefly transformed into sleet at the Summit of Isla Bonita.
The scenario echoed the conditions experienced during Borrasca Nuria, where rainfall created concerns for the island’s road infrastructure and sewer overflow issues in the Triana neighbourhood of the Aridane plains.
Aside from these minor incidents, the heavy rainfall once again caused runoff in the Barranco de las Angustias, which channels the rainfall from the entire Taburiente basin to flow to the coast of Tazacorte. Similarly, the Tenisca ravine in Llanos de Aridane released a significant flow.
In the Aridane Valley, a sight was observed which continues to occur three and a half years post the Tajogaite eruption. Hot spots from the lava fields reacted to the rain, emanating clouds of water vapour.
A late ‘Olivier’ brings heavy night rains across the Canary Islands
The winds were less severe than those experienced with Nuria, but gusts exceeding 60 kilometres per hour were reported in the northern arch and at the summit of La Palma, which also disrupted airport operations, leading to a halt in activities from 8:00 p.m. following two unsuccessful landing attempts from a flight coming from Tenerife Norte that had to return to its original airport. Ultimately, according to data from AENA, three additional flights were also cancelled.
On Tenerife, the rainfall began tentatively but intensified, persisting until the close of this report. Downpours began around 8:00 p.m. in some of the northern municipalities of the island. An hour later, Olivier had reached the capital, where most municipalities recorded accumulations of 10 litres per square metre within one hour.
This significant storm began to form early on Wednesday in the Atlantic, a short distance from the archipelago. As explained by David Suárez, a delegate of Aemet in the Canary Islands, its formation occurred after a vortex emerged from a broad area of low pressure situated in the Azores. This is the first high-impact storm to affect the Canary Islands in 2025, as previous storms such as Garoé or Nuria had merely grazed the islands with their front bands. The passage of Olivier is divided into two rain bands; the one experienced on Wednesday night was the initial event, while the second and more intense stage will occur on Thursday morning.
Cancellation of events
In anticipation of the forecast, local councils activated their respective municipal emergency plans (PEMU) to manage the oncoming Borrasca. This prompted most municipalities within the Canary Islands to cancel all municipal activities and close their facilities. In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, all events organised by the City Council were called off on Wednesday, with the closure of all municipal sports, cultural, and educational facilities. The same was true for La Laguna, which also suspended both outdoor sports and cultural activities. In coastal municipalities, such as Los Realejos, measures were taken to restrict access to the coastline due to the coastal phenomena linked to Borrasca.
In addition, the Cabildos of Tenerife, La Palma and La Gomera opted for pre-emptive closure of recreational areas, pathways, and trails across the islands. In Tenerife, there was a prohibition on access to these sites, with restrictions also imposed on trails within the Teide National Park that lead to the peak, alongside a ban on canyoning activities. The Cabildo of El Hierro announced the suspension of works on the slope of La Peña road.
The Ministry of Education currently maintains school activities within the archipelago, with final decisions pending consultations from the General Emergency Department in the forthcoming hours.
Advisory against travel
The Canary Islands Government has urged residents to exercise extreme caution if travel is required while the storm influences the islands. As the administration notes, the intense and heavy rainfall, which could lead to accumulations of up to 80 litres in 12 hours, may create challenges for traffic along the primary roads of the islands.
Consequently, it is recommended to undertake only essential travel, adjust departure schedules in advance, and drive with heightened caution. Furthermore, individuals travelling by road are advised to be alert to any obstacles that may arise due to the anticipated rain and wind conditions.
The government also emphasises that driving or parking in the ravines should be avoided due to the risk of accumulated rainwater generating floods or runoff in these areas of island geography.
Forecast for Thursday
Olivier is set to continue delivering heavy rainfall on Thursday morning. The State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) has therefore maintained orange warnings for rainfall until 8:00 a.m. in Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. This indicates that until that time, the rainfall will be substantial with potential accumulations of up to 30 litres per square metre within just one hour. Nevertheless, rainfall is expected to persist throughout the day, leading Aemet to issue yellow warnings until 8:00 p.m.
The warnings will gradually be lifted. In Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and El Hierro, the warnings will end by 11:00 a.m.; while in La Palma and Gran Canaria, they will cease by 5:00 p.m. In La Gomera, warnings will be lifted at 3:00 p.m., and in Tenerife at 8:00 p.m.
The Canary Islands Government continues to maintain alerts for rainfall across all islands, alongside pre-alerts for risks of rainfall, storms, strong winds, and coastal phenomena affecting the western islands, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
