Tenerife Weather

[NAH]

Visibility is slightly reduced by the sand particles in the air however the 'hair dryer' effect is not present this time and the breeze is cool on the GdS. Are we sure this is a calima?

[Janet]

oh yes, confirmed by Aemet. It was the calima that made the Canarian Government issue its alert and the Cabildo ban fires in the mountains and forests ... it's not so much because of the heat, but the wind that would fan flames, and above all, the humidity levels. These plummet to sometimes dangerously low levels, so a soaking towel will dry in minutes, for example. All moisture evaporates ... and apart from what that represents for humans' health, it dries everything natural up to a kindling just waiting for a spark ...

This is an altitude calima ... they come in at different heights. This is one that affects the medianias and altitude above all. You won't be getting much of the wind, just the dust and heat.

[Anne 2009]

That must be so uncomfortable. I didn't realise they lasted that long. Don't know if it was the tail end of a calima or just a very bad wind, but a few years ago in Las americas i got caught in it. It whipped the sand up and was blowing leaves off the palms etc. Luckily i was only 5 minutes from apartment. Within an hour it had gone. Oh boy, did that sand bloody sting!

[Janet]

The very first year we moved here, so 2004, there was a major one, and apart from the sand and dust it blows in from the Sahara, if the calima is bad enough, and if there's a locust plague in Morocco or Algeria at the same time, we get those too. Thankfully hardly any get as far as us, but Fuerteventura and Lanzarote can get them pretty badly.

In 2004 I remember watching the news on television and seeing holidaying golfers trying to play a round in one of those two islands while the air was thick with locusts ... they were trying to beat them off with their golf clubs ...

[Michael]

Not much sign of it down here apart from the disappearance of La Gomera but it is decidedly warm.

I'm holding off putting on the air con. 

[Janet]

This is the pic from the Barcelona Calima watch ... it's part of Aemet ...

Dust is pink :

1 is the initial rush which we're having today

2 is the real calima that's coming tomorrow, though it shouldn't be with the winds we've had today in the medianías and at altitude.

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[NAH]

Hair dryer in your face weather this morning on GdS and currently 41 degrees on the balcony.

[Janet]

that's the main part of the calima coming, so you have it as we had it yesterday ... you have my sympathy!! It's a bit fresher and no gale oop t'hill this morning.

[Kingbaker]

Hair dryer in your face weather this morning on GdS and currently 41 degrees on the balcony.

LGDS or UGDS?

[NAH]

LGDS or UGDS?

Upper LGDS (I just made that up  )

Been up to Puerto de la Cruz for the day, much more 'normal' up there. Having returned now the wind on the GdS has dropped.