Dramatic weather warnings remain in place on British holiday hotspots after authorities issued fresh alerts for high waves and powerful winds.
Dire warnings have now been expanded to cover all seven Canary Islands as the Atlantic storm system approaches from the north.
Due to the extreme weather, there is a risk of huge seas and storms with speeds up to 70 km/h in the coming days.
Spain’s state meteorological agency AEMET has activated a yellow weather warning across the region.
Forecasters warned that conditions on the exposed coastline could deteriorate rapidly.
The alerts come just as thousands of British families prepare to head to the popular holiday destination for the Easter half term holidays.
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Tourist favorites Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are all expected to see dangerous sea conditions, with waves forecast to reach four to five metres.
The storm is expected to begin hitting the islands from Wednesday, especially in the northern and exposed coastal areas.
Also, powerful winds will blow across the archipelago from Thursday, with gusts of up to 70 km/h predicted in mountainous areas and on open beaches.
Authorities are warning residents and visitors to take extra precautions near beaches, ports and rocky viewpoints as conditions worsen.
The storm will affect each island slightly differently, but no part of the archipelago will escape warnings.
Strong waves are expected on most beaches in Tenerife and Gran Canaria on Wednesday, before strong winds blow over northern areas and mountain slopes on Thursday.
On Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, seas will be rough on Wednesday, followed by strong winds across the island next Day.
Meanwhile the smaller islands – La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro – could feel its effects even sooner, with rough seas starting on Tuesday evening in some coastal areas and returning again at the end of the week.
The Government of the Canary Islands also issued a “pre-warning” for coastal incidents, which came into effect at 9 pm on 7 April.
Officials said the decision was taken using data from AEMET and other monitoring systems as part of the region’s emergency weather response plan.
Authorities have warned of strong winds between La Gomera and Tenerife, as well as north-westerly waves reaching three to four meters across the islands.
Duration Before gradually diminishing during Wednesday morning, though conditions may still change as the storm system develops.
The unstable weather is being driven by a low pressure system moving through the Atlantic just north of the islands, causing unstable conditions across the region.
Meteorologists say alerts are typically issued up to 48 hours in advance, meaning warnings can still be extended or upgraded if a storm intensifies.
The system is also stirring up wild weather across mainland Spain, with forecasters warning of intense storms, hail and heavy rain in parts of the country.
In regions including Castilla y Leon, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Galicia, yellow warnings are in place for storms and heavy rainfall.
Powerful gusts can exceed 70 km/h in some mountainous areas, while Saharan dust blown into the atmosphere can combine with rain to produce “mud rain”, a phenomenon that covers cars, buildings and roads in muddy residue.
Temperatures in the region are also expected to drop rapidly due to unstable weather patterns in western Spain.
The latest warnings will ring alarm bells for many tourists as recent storms have already caused major disruption in the Canary Islands.
Last month Hurricane Therese unleashed devastating floods and landslides, leaving more than 3,000 people stranded or displaced in Gran Canaria alone.
Entire communities were cut off as roads were washed away and ravine banks breached due to incessant rains.
Evacuees were forced to seek shelter in a secondary school while emergency teams battled the extreme conditions.
Popular tourist areas including San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Santa Lucia, Mogan and Telde were most affected.
Mountain access roads became dangerously unstable, while coastal homes in Pozo Izquierdo were damaged by fierce winds and sea spray.
In neighboring Tenerife, winds of up to 73 mph knocked out power and street lights, leaving dozens of people without power.
Officials are urging visitors to stay alert to weather updates and use caution on open beaches, especially as winds and waves increase this weekend.
Just last week another popular tourist destination was thrown into chaos when suffocating Saharan dust engulfed the Greek island of Crete.
Hurricane Erminio also spread deadly flooding, torrential rain and snow across Greece – killing one person in Athens.
The popular tourist destination was shrouded in an eerie red-orange haze as thick African dust swept across the island, clouding the sky and forcing planes to divert routes.
