On 31 October, the Government of the Canary Islands issued a rain alert for the Área metropolitana de Tenerife from 12 noon on Sunday, 1 November. The measure follows forecasts from the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, which predict higher rainfall intensities in the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Laguna on Sunday. The basis is the Plan Específico de Emergencias de Canarias (PEFMA); responsibility lies with the Dirección General de Emergencias of the Gobierno de Canarias.
According to the official notice, an orange warning issued by AEMET applies to the metropolitan area of Tenerife, with possible rainfall totals of up to 30 millimetres in one hour between 12 noon on Sunday and midnight on Monday. There is also a risk of significant rainfall over a 12-hour period. Outside the metropolitan area, heavy showers may occur on Sunday on the western islands, La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera, as well as in the north of Gran Canaria with their location and timing varying.
The pre-alert remains in place for El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera and the rest of Tenerife; a pre-alert has also been issued for Gran Canaria. At present, the weather event is not expected to extend significantly to the eastern islands. The weather may persist on La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera and Tenerife on Monday, 2 November, with the possibility of locally heavy rainfall, particularly between midnight and 6 pm.
The Dirección General de Emergencias stresses that the location, intensity and persistence of the rainfall remain uncertain. The situation is therefore being monitored continuously, and the alert level may be adjusted in line with weather developments. The public is referred to the usual self-protection advice, as intense rainfall may cause local flooding, flash floods in barrancos and traffic disruption. The Canary Islands emergency services issue specific instructions for households, businesses and journeys to work as the situation develops.
The Canary Islands authorities’ decision follows established PEFMA procedures: an alert (Alerta) is issued when there is an increased risk of immediate impacts in a defined area. A pre-alert (Prealerta) signals a hazard that warrants attention but is less immediate. Both levels are set according to the latest available data and can be changed at short notice when new AEMET measurements or forecasts become available.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).