TOURISTS and residents of the Spanish Canary Islands are bracing for the worst before Storm Nuria with “hurricane-force” winds makes landfall today.
Authorities have issued severe weather warnings for Tenerife and La Palma – both popular tourists hotspots usually packed with visitors.
The Canary Islands are known for their sunny weather and average daily temperatures of 18 degrees during this time of year, making them a popular holiday spot for British tourists.
However, Spain’s Met Office (AEMET) has raised a red alert for the eastern region of La Palma until 3 pm local time and amber alerts for several other popular tourist destinations that are expected to be severely affected.
Hurricane-force gusts of up to 80mph along with dangerous sea conditions are expected to batter the coastal regions.
The most severe conditions are anticipated on Spain’s western islands of Tenerife, El Hierro and La Gomera.
Areas of high altitude, such as the summits of La Palma, Teide National Park, and parts of Tenerife where the southern airport is located, will also face significant impact.
The other islands on the archipelago including Gran Canaria are braced for strong wind gusts ranging from 43 to 62 miles per hour.
To prepare for Storm Nuria, schools in Tenerife, La Palma and La Graciosa remain closed today.
The agency said in a tweet: “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.”
Brit tourists have been urged to avoid the danger zones until after April 3.
Nuria is the fourteenth high-impact storm of the season.
Along with the Canary Islands, the storm will bring rain, strong winds and cooler temperatures to much of Spain.
Heavy rainfall is also expected to hit Galicia, the Balearic Islands and the Cantabrian mountain range.
Authorities have also announced yellow warnings in the provinces of Cadiz, Huelva and Seville.
The arrival of storm Nuria will interrupt the period of dry and warm weather that Spain has experienced in the previous weeks.
The Canary Islands were ravaged by flooding last month – with Gran Canaria battered by torrential rain.
Tourists and locals saw their cars swept away in devastating flash floods as they were told to stay indoors.
Shocking pictures and videos from the time showed dangerous waters destroying homes and covering streets with piles of mud.
Terrifying footage showed a woman being rescued from a car engulfed in floodwater in Gran Canaria.
