Spain chaos as UK tourists issued huge weather warning
Tourists heading to many of Spain's coastal areas and island hotspots have been warned of brutal weather conditions this week.
British tourists heading to many popular parts of Spain and its holiday islands for Easter week are set to face turbulent weather, the country's state weather agency has warned. Powerful gusts are set to rip across Spain, with coastal areas and island hotspots bearing the brunt of the conditions this week.
State weather agency Aemet has issued a series of warnings for strong gusts sweeping across much of the country, with rough seas also expected. The areas expected to see high winds include Aragon, Catalunya, the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community. Orange weather alerts are in place for Tuesday and Wednesday, with gusts having already reached up to 62mph (100km/h) in exposed areas, including Girona’s Emporda and parts of Zaragoza. The Balearics are also taking a hit, with Menorca and northern Majorca expected to see winds of up to 56mph (90km/h).
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Rough conditions out at sea are also expected to generate waves reaching an extraordinary 33 feet (10m) in height.
While conditions are forecast to ease slightly on Thursday, dropping to yellow alerts, forecasters still warn of turbulent winds of up to 50mph (80km/h) in areas including Tarragona, Zaragoza and Castellon.
Meanwhile, in the Canary Islands, local residents and tourists visiting for the Easter holidays are being urged to exercise caution as the fabled ‘calima’ weather phenomenon sweeps in from the Sahara Desert. An extraordinary 800-mile (1,300km) wall of dust, longer than the UK, is being driven by a low-pressure storm system towards the Spanish archipelago.
Having made landfall earlier this week, the calima has spread across the entire territory and intensified since yesterday. Aemet, the state weather agency, has warned that the microscopic suspended particles kicked up from desert sand will severely reduce air quality, with visibility dropping to just 1.9 miles (3,000m) in some areas – especially at altitude.
As of 2pm BST on Wednesday (April 1), Aemet still has yellow weather warnings in place for suspended dust in La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, warning of 'Low danger' with "significant haze at surface and altitude".
Health experts are advising people with respiratory diseases to take precautions, including wearing masks when outside or avoiding leaving home, as the sky turns a whitish-orange hue. Residents are also advised to keep windows and doors closed to prevent dust from seeping inside and to avoid heavy outdoor exercise.
Conditions are gradually improving on throughout Wednesday.
