Tenerife and Gran Canaria hit by weather warnings as Brits brace for powerful winds

The Canary Islands have been hit by weather warnings with British tourists favourites Tenerife and Gran Canaria bracing for gale-force winds and rough seas.

A yellow weather warning has been issued for Wednesday and Thursday (3 and 4 June) for the islands, and the latest forecast also said winds could reach nearly 45mph.

Spanish media Canarian Weekly said “the warnings affect Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, where north-easterly winds of up to force 7 are forecast, equivalent to speeds of between 50 and 61 km/h”.

The alerts are expected to cover coastal and exposed areas and could be extended. Residents and visitors are being urged to take extra care around those areas, and observe red flags on beaches and bathing aeas.

These warnings were issued while other areas of mainland Spain could also be hit by extreme heat as areas including the Costa del Sol, Costa del Almeria, Costa Calida, and Costa Blanca could see temperatures of up to 39C.

In Tenerife, the warning will come into force at 4pm on Tuesday and is currently expected to remain active until 11.59pm on Wednesday, the Canarian Weekly said. Gran Canaria will also enter yellow alert status from 4pm on Tuesday, and the warning will be in place until late Wednesday night.

At the time, an orange weather warning was in place as torrential downpours and powerful winds battered the island. The Tenerife Island Council – Cabildo de Tenerife – activated its emergency plan, warning locals and visitors to exercise caution and to avoid unnecessary travel.

Temporary shelters were set up in affected areas and access roads to the Teide National Park were closed with authorities labelling it as one of the most severe storms to batter the archipelago in over a decade. The entirety of Gran Canaria was under an orange weather warning too.