Canary Islands orange climate alert as 33ft waves predicted after vacationer deaths
AEMET has issued a severe weather warning for the Canary Islands with waves up to 10 meters, coming less than a week after four tourists were killed at Los Gigantes, Tenerife
A severe weather alert has been issued for the Canary Islands this weekend, with waves expected to reach towering heights. Spain’s national meteorological agency, AEMET, has cautioned about a dangerous mix of powerful winds, heavy rain and treacherous seas.
This warning comes less than a week after four tourists tragically lost their lives, with another still missing, at the Charco de Isla Cangrejo natural pool in Los Gigantes, Tenerife.
Waves over 4.8 metres (16 feet) are predicted, with experts cautioning that this is merely an average, with swells potentially reaching a staggering height of 10 metres (33 feet) at their peak. These hazardous coastal conditions are anticipated to hit the island late on Friday (December 12) and continue throughout Saturday, reports the Mirror.
The weather agency warned that the seas on Saturday would be “especially dangerous”, while the northerly winds would be “very intense”.
Both tourists and locals have been advised to adhere to safety procedures and stay informed about the latest updates through official channels. Further information is expected to be released later today, according to the Olive Press.
This news follows just a week after the tragic incident where four tourists were killed by enormous waves, with another still unaccounted for. The incident took place at the Charco de Isla Cangrejo natural pool in Los Gigantes, Tenerife on Sunday (December 7).
Approximately 20 swimmers disregarded an official closure and crossed police tape to swim at the popular holiday location.
Emilio Navarro, the mayor of Santiago del Teide, revealed to a local TV station: “All those hurt or killed were tourists. There’s a group that was younger, Slovakians and Italians, and there was another group all tourists, who had crossed the tape that had been put by local police or Civil Guard who have been working all week in this area and at other points along the coast.
“It’s impossible at times to make people understand the dangers of the ocean. The tape has to be replaced several times a day in some cases because it gets broken and people even insult police because they don’t want to leave.”
In a similar incident in November, three individuals lost their lives on the island, including a Dutch cruise passenger when 10 people were swept into the sea in Tenerife.
The tragic event unfolded in the popular resort of Puerto de la Cruz, situated in the north of the island and the most frequented holiday spot in the region.
