Canary Islands weather: Storm Nuria to hit holiday hotspots Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria with 'red alert' issued as 80mph winds forecast

The alert is in force from midnight tonight until Thursday, April 3, with the risk of 80mph winds. Storm Nuria is expected to make landfall in the Canary Islands today (Thursday 3 April).

Tenerife South Airport, used by many tourists visiting the island, could be disrupted due to the strong winds. The red alert has been issued by Spain’s Met Office – AEMET – which wrote on X: ‘Storm Nuria will leave hurricane-force wind gusts, exceeding 130km/hr, between 5am and 5pm (Canary Islands time) on Thursday, April 3.

‘The danger is extraordinary. Extreme caution.’ The red alert means people and tourists have been urged to close their windows and doors to protect themselves from the strong winds. Other islands in the area have been issued with an orange alert, including northern parts of Gran Canaria.

This is in force from midnight tonight until midnight on Thursday. Yellow warnings are also in place for provinces including Cadiz, Huelva and Seville.

The Canary Islands usually enjoy warm temperatures this time of year around the 18°C mark. The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) forecasts Thursday as a day of intense winds, hazardous coastal conditions, and heavy rainfall, particularly affecting Tenerife, the western islands, and Gran Canaria.

AEMET warns of precipitation accumulations of up to 15mm in just one hour, particularly in the western and mountainous regions of La Palma during the early afternoon. Similar downpours are anticipated in the midlands and highlands of La Gomera and El Hierro later in the day.