The Government of the Canary Islands, together with the Aemet has issued extended severe weather warnings for heavy rain for 1 and 2 November 2026. According to the Dirección General de Emergencias high risk levels are in force for La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro while Tenerife initially face a lower but significant risk. The warnings cover all of 1 November and last until the afternoon of 2 November, with recurring showers and thunderstorms.
The authorities cite official forecasts predicting locally very intense rainfall rates in higher areas of La Palma and in parts of La Gomera and El Hierro. Orange warnings (high risk) have been issued for the three islands, and yellow warnings for parts of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. An alert was already issued on 31 October and subsequently raised to a warning for the western islands. The basis is Aemet’s models, which do not rule out large amounts of rainfall falling within an hour over short periods.
The public is urged to exercise caution and follow official advice. Residents in exposed valleys and mountainous areas should avoid hazardous locations, heed traffic warnings and, in particular, not cross dry riverbeds or barrancos. In an emergency, call the Europe-wide emergency number 112 The incident response teams of the respective Cabildos are coordinating local measures.
The weather situation is being shaped by a moist flow from the central Atlantic which, combined with a disturbance and the islands’ complex topography, is conducive to locally very intense rainfall. On the Canaries, such episodes repeatedly lead to rapid surface runoff, mudslides and landslides, as well as traffic disruption.
The Gobierno de Canarias and Aemet are monitoring developments continuously and have said they will adjust alert levels as needed. Businesses, public institutions and transport companies should review their contingency plans at short notice and follow new official announcements. There is currently no information on damage or possible costs; the risk depends largely on the local distribution of rainfall over the coming hours.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).