British tourists on vacation in the Canary Islands this weekend have been warned to write unfavourable weather conditions due to the coast.
The archipelago government has declared its pre-alert status through the Director of the Emergency Affairs Bureau about disadvantageous situations that began midnight on Saturday (February 15th).
This previous alert will affect the north and west coasts of El Hiero, La Palma, Fuerteventura and Lanzaroto, as well as the north coasts of La Gomera, Tenerif and Gran Canaria.
The wave height is expected to reach 2-3 meters on Saturday and Monday, and up to 4 meters on Sunday. On the other hand, winds range from 3-4 (7.5-17 mph) and gusts reach 5 (18-24 mph) in some areas.
The direction of the wind changes over the weekend, starting from the northwest on Saturday, turning north and northeast on Sunday, and eventually east on Monday.
Authorities will alert residents and tourists, especially tourists near coastal areas, and urge the public to provide information on weather updates.
Pre-alerts are expected to remain in place until conditions improve on Monday.
According to the Specific Emergency Plan on Harmful Weather Phenomena in the Canary Islands (PEFMA), the decision to declare a pre-aler was based on data provided by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) and other sources.
Large waves are a common phenomenon in the Canary Islands due to their geographical location off the coast of Africa, and are exposed to powerful expansion from the North Atlantic Ocean, combined with volcanic topography to produce fast hollow waves Creates a reef rest.
This makes it less ideal for tourists looking to have a gentle swim during their holidays, but the archipelago is a popular surfing destination with consistent surfing throughout the year.
However, for this occasion, it may be best to leave these surfboards in the villa and avoid a beach walk this weekend.
According to Canarian Weekly, the Canary Islands had nearly 18 million tourists in 2024, an increase of 10% from the previous year. This included 15.5 million international tourists and 2 million domestic tourists.
Tenerife is the most popular destination, followed by Gran Canaria, with over 7 million visitors and 4.5 million visitors. The majority of tourists came from the UK, France and Germany.
The success of tourism in the Canary Islands in 2024 was despite anti-tourist protests highlighting concerns about the impact of tourism on the environment and housing markets.
