Storm Bruna Triggers Alerts in Canary Islands with Heavy Rain and Wind
Storm Bruna is battering the Canary Islands with intense rainfall reaching up to 100 millimeters, wind gusts topping 90 kilometers per hour, and coastal waves surging up to four meters high, according to leggo.it.
The high-impact weather system was due to begin crossing the archipelago from west to east starting on the afternoon of Saturday, November 7, with instability intensifying overnight and continuing through Sunday while potentially lingering into the upcoming week.
The regional government activated multiple weather alerts across the archipelago as the high-impact storm system swept in from the west. Rainfall warnings went into effect Saturday evening for El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife, and Gran Canaria, while Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and La Graciosa were placed under pre-alert status. La Palma could accumulate more than 30 liters per square meter in a single hour, with totals reaching 100 liters over a twelve-hour period.
Across the other mountainous islands, intense downpours are also expected with accumulations around 25 liters per square meter in an hour, alongside a pre-alert for flood risks throughout the archipelago warning of water accumulation in urban areas and sudden rises in small watercourses and ravines. A thunderstorm pre-alert was activated across all islands; activity began in La Palma late Saturday before moving eastward on Sunday.
Wind alerts began midday Saturday for the western and mountainous islands, particularly affecting higher elevations and exposed slopes. Southwest gales exceeded 70 kilometers per hour initially before strengthening further, with gusts expected to exceed 90 kilometers per hour in the most exposed areas of the mountainous islands on Sunday.
A high-stakes coastal alert remains in effect across all islands due to dangerous sea conditions and heavy swells. The rough seas pose severe threats to coastal infrastructure, bathing areas, and seaside promenades, especially along northern and western shores, with sea agitation potentially reaching between three and four meters starting Monday, with an initial particular impact on the western coasts of La Palma and El Hierro.
Civil protection authorities urged residents to avoid breakwaters and coastal promenades, refrain from crossing swollen ravines, and secure loose items on balconies.
The Dirección General de Emergencias also asked the population to adopt more rigorous self-protection measures and avoid risk situations, advising people to avoid unnecessary travel during the phases of greatest intensity, to follow updates from official bodies and instructions from emergency services, and specifically not to park vehicles in riverbeds, ravines, or flood-prone areas.