Abundant rain in La Gomera's north

While all of La Gomera got some decent precipitation over the past few days, the northern regions received a lot of rain yesterday. The weather station at the visitor's centre above Agulo reported just over 70 mm of rain yesterday and the station in Hemigua recorded almost 40 mm. The above video by gomeraverde.com shows one of the many waterfalls in Agulo yesterday.

The next few days should bring sunny spells but also further showers to La Gomera and some of these may again be heavy with a risk of isolated thunderstorms. Caution is advised when out and about, even when it is not raining, as rocks and soil may have become unstable due to the rain and will expand during sunny spells.

More rain showers expected

More welcome rain showers are expected today and a status 'yellow' weather warning has been issued for toady, Friday March 29th 2019, for rainfalls of up to 15mm in one hour. Isolated thunderstorms may also form. Caution on roads and hiking paths is advised.

For the coming days more showers are forecast, but again with good sunny periods at times.

Video of heavy rains and flooding in La Gomera

Yesterday's very heavy downpours caused flooding in the island's capital San Sebastian de La Gomera, as the above video by Gomera Today shows. As in most of the other Canary Islands a lot of rain fell in a relatively short time with which the drainage system couldn't cope, here leading to flooding of several business premises in the centre of the capital. The video also shows the many waterfalls in the valley above the town and roads turning into rivers. 

 Radar at 22:40 hrs last night
during the thunderstorm

Last night there was a spectacular thunderstorm which brought some more rain, but thankfully without further incidents. The AEMET weather station in San Sebastian de La Gomera yesterday recorded 26,4 mm of precipitation and most of that fell in the afternoon when most of Hermigua weather station's recorded total of about 45 mm fell as well. As all of the island got some rain, caution on the roads and hiking paths today and in the coming days is advised when the sun heats and expands drying material and debris that then may fall.

The forecast is for some further well scattered showers today gradually dying out, and for a ridge of high pressure to bring mostly sunny weather over the weekend.

Ominous looking sky yesterday afternoon seen from Valle Gran Rey, where most of the rain fell in the morning though.

Showers today Nov. 22nd 2018

These two were caught by a heavy shower coming down the mountain this morning. She looks drenched
while he's closing the umbrella as the next sunny period starts. At least they had rain gear.

There will be scattered showers today and some may be heavy and even an odd thunderstorm can't be ruled out. Good sunny spells also, these best in the southern coastal regions. It will turn noticeably colder tonight, but daytime maxima should reach the low twenties in the south. The mainly northerly winds will remain mostly moderate, but fresher in mountain areas. Tomorrow morning some more showers are expected but they will become less frequent as the day progresses. The outlook for the weekend is for more settled weather as a ridge of high pressure is expected to build over the Canary Islands.

Video of large waves smashing into block of flats

Yesterday's heavy swell, which damaged some coastal properties on Tenerife and La Palma islands, was felt all over the Canary Islands. More than 100 people had to be evacuated from their dwellings in the northern coastal town of Garachico and near Tacoronte on Tenerife. In the south of Tenerife waves smashed into into the restaurant of a hotel in Adeje while guests were eating. The above video by 'Beats From Tenerife' shows large waves smash into a block of flats and tearing into balconies three floors up, leading to the evacuation of the lower floors. In La Gomera some stretches of coastal roads were closed to traffic but thankfully no incidents were reported.

Rough seas this weekend

Warnings have been issued of a strong swell and high waves to affect the Canary Islands. For La Gomera a level yellow warning of waves of 4-5 metres begins on Saturday, Nov. 17th 2018, at 6pm and extends until early Monday morning. An additional level orange warning of waves of 5-6 metres is valid from 9pm Saturday until Sunday afternoon 3pm. The swell is coming from a north-westerly direction and it is advisable to stay away from exposed coasts. Please be aware that the rough seas may disrupt ferry schedules and cruise ship itineraries.

Significant swell

Today and until Monday a very powerful Atlantic swell will be running in the seas of the western Canary Islands, due to a very deep depression near the bay of Biscay. Be cautious near the shore.

Cold spell in Canary Islands set to continue

Icicles on a special carnival edition Dorada beer bottle. Well, the ice wasn't  due to the weather...

The cold spell which lasted all week in the Canary Islands is set to continue well into the coming week. There was some snow in the mountains of Gran Canaria, and the peak of Tenerife's Mount Teide is wearing a white winter coat. Even lower areas of Lanzarote had a sprinkling of soft hail, leaving the black lava with a white dusting just briefly. The fresh to strong northerly winds are continuing to bring cold air down over the Canaries with some days a bit warmer than others, but generally the cold airflow with spells of scattered showers is set to continue according to forecasts. 
In La Gomera's mountains above 3.000 feet the temperature stayed in single figures all week and the lowest recorded at the weather station on the second-highest peak here, the Alto de Igualero at about 4.500 ft, was only 2ºC while the highest temperature there during the week just briefly reached 6.1ºC. It is a different story down by the sea in the southern resorts of La Gomera where the temperature can reach 20ºC, but only in sunny spots sheltered from the northerly wind which blows down from the cold mountain regions. Nights are colder than normally, too, but the sea temperature will be around 20ºC keeping it milder near coasts even at night and making an ice cold beer a feasible option.
Daily weather updates on top of right sidebar >

Drought leads to water rationing in capital

Parched terraced farm land in La Gomera's north

The severe drought which is affecting the Canary Islands has now begun to affect the drinking water supply even on La Gomera, which normally has an abundant supply of spring water. Recently the council of the capital San Sebastian de La Gomera introduced emergency measures to ensure a sufficient supply to the taps of the town. Water in specific districts will be cut off in rotation at night from 11pm until 7am when supplies have fallen, in a measure to allow the supply to be maintained everywhere during the day. It is generally prohibited to use drinking water to wash cars, water gardens, etc. Public green areas will be irrigated with recycled and purified waste water. The town has already installed pressure-reducing valves in many locations to conserve water and is continuing to repair any leaking pipes.

Rainfall has been below average in the Canary Islands for four consecutive years now and the situation is grave, particularly for agriculture. In October and November of this year only 25% of the average amount of precipitation for this period fell in the Canaries. Crops have failed or couldn't be sown, fruit trees died and many irrigation-water reservoirs are completely empty. The low humidity, unseasonal heat and lack of rain have also led to a proliferation of pests and plant diseases. The beekeepers of La Gomera report that honey production is down to just 40% of normal because of the drought, and many wild bees are literally dying of hunger while beekeepers are having to feed their bees with sugared water.

Tourists and visitors hardly notice anything abnormal, except for the less green countryside, as the taps and showers still run. I don't want to sound alarmist, but I would appeal to all to please use La Gomera's water sparingly and help conserve what's left of the island's precious resource. Unlike the other Canary islands we don't have desalination plants to supply the tourism infrastructure on La Gomera, and even if some rain may fall soon it will take a lot of rain over a longer period of time to percolate deeply to feed the springs and to return the water deposits to normal levels.

A few welcome showers

Finally we had a couple of light showers in Valle Gran Rey, like the one in the image above which I took last night showing the precious drops of rain. There's a nice fresh smell in the air this morning. The coming week should be mostly sunny.

Gloomy sky

The sky just before 8 am this morning. There was a lot of  lightning and some thunder in the early hours. See previous post.

...and this image was taken about 15 minutes later

Severe weather alerts Nov. 25th and 26th 2017

Latest water vapour satellite image.

A vigorous Atlantic depression of about 1000hPa has formed WNW of the Canary Islands and is slowly moving closer, while a large anticyclone is almost stationary over North Africa. The resulting southerly airstream is drawing subtropical and very humid air from near the Cape Verde Islands. Current models and predictions are for heavy showers and at times persistent precipitation to affect the western Canary Islands, including La Gomera, and for gale force southerly winds. Thunderstorms can also be expected as the very active cold fronts associated with the low pressure system clash with the warm subtropical air. The Spanish meteorological service has issued 'yellow' wind and rain warnings for La Gomera and even status 'orange' warnings for the islands of La Palma and El Hierro, all warnings valid from midnight tonight until Sunday night. (see 'Weather' on top sidebar, which I will try to keep updated regularly). An 'orange' rainfall warning for La Gomera has been added for the first half of Sunday, with amounts of up to 30 mm in one hour and 100 mm over the 12 hour period of this additional warning. A 'yellow' warning of thunderstorms for Saturday and Sunday over La Gomera was also just issued. For Tenerife 'yellow' warnings for wind have will be activated for Sat. and Sun. and a 'yellow' rainfall warning just for Sunday.

The whole situation is a bit difficult to predict as the high pressure over North Africa may

ultimately decide who gets what, if anything, in the Canaries. 

Alerta Maxima (click)

But you have been warned...
Rockfalls and landslides can be expected, especially with rain combined with strong winds after the prolonged drought. Roads may also be slippery when the dust dissolves during the first rainfalls. Be extremely cautious and avoid unnecessary journeys, walks, etc....
Update: The government of the Canary Islands has increased the alert level to the highest (Alerta Maxima) for rainfalls on the islands of El Hierro, La Palma, and La Gomera from midnight tonight until further notice. Emergency crews will be on standby and other measures, like the closure of the path from
Valle Gran Rey under the cliff to Argaga, have been taken.
+ UPDATE: Alert cancelation see 'Weather' on sidebar

Severe drought

Percentage of available water: Less than 10% of La Gomera's average. (Muy seco = very dry)

We're entering the last week of November and the severe drought in the Canary Islands continues. Most water reservoirs and tanks are empty and agriculture is badly affected. Many farmers are desperately waiting for rain to be able to plant crops in the currently barren and parched fields. While the wells that supply drinking water on La Gomera still produce a good volume of water, even the soil in the forest of the national park is too dry for this time of the year. So please use water sparingly, even if it does rain as predicted this weekend (see 'Weather' on sidebar).

Chipi-chipi rainbow

Looking north...

Last night around sunset time there was this beautiful rainbow over Valle Gran Rey, caused by a bit of chipi-chipi, which is what a soft and light drizzle is called in La Gomera. Everyone here is talking about the severe drought this year and the chipi-chipi is most welcome, even though it barely wet the ground. However, at the weather station near the highest point in the mountains a more generous 6,8 mm of precipitation was recorded yesterday while the rest of La Gomera's official weather stations didn't record any rain.

...and looking south last night

A breezy Christmas 2016

A wind warning has been issued by the meteorological service valid from early today, Saturday, December 24th 2016, until Monday 25th of Dec.:

Strong to gale force easterly winds will affect La Gomera (and most areas of the Canary Islands) with winds gusting to 80 km/h or more in exposed areas, especially in the mountains.

While there are only light breezes here in Valle Gran Rey at the moment, the weather station on La Gomera's second highest peak, the Alto de Igualero at about 4500 ft, has already recorded a gust of 71 km/h just after 8 am this morning.

Drive with caution and be careful generally as sudden gusts and resulting debris can be expected.

Disappointing rain

One of the very few short-lived light showers yesterday

Despite the very vigorous low pressure systems which had developed north of the Canary Islands recently and the high expectations for some more generous rainfalls, once again very little precipitation fell in La Gomera.
The water reservoirs which are used for irrigation in summer contain very little water this December. They had been almost filled by the end of October last year. The drinking water is not affected as it is all won from springs and wells and the mists and fogs in the mountains which condense on the trees keep feeding a steady supply of precious water.

Well, the winter season has only begun and hopes are high for some more decent rain. 

However, for the coming week there's no rain in sight yet as high pressure becomes established.

Thunderstorm in Valle Gran Rey

Even though it was mostly sunny yesterday, there were dark clouds in the evening for a while and a thunderstorm brought some badly needed rain to Valle Gran Rey. The whole spectacle didn't last very long and there was a beautiful sunset later.
From today the weather is improving and the forecast for the next few days is for mostly sunny and warm weather.

First rain after the long dry summer

Image taken around 9am this morning after a heavy shower

This morning Valle Gran Rey had the first good showers of rain after the long dry summer season. During the last couple of days the present weather situation (see 'Weathe News on top left of home page) had only brought a few lighter showers here. Now as I write a band of heavy thunderstorms is approaching from the south, thunder can be heard in the distance and the sky is very grey, promising more badly needed rain. Of course, if you're holidaying in the Canaries you don't want rain, but you can have your morning shower now without feeling guilty.

The outlook is for the weather to improve gradually and by the weekend it should be mostly fine.

A note of caution: As always after rain there is an increased risk of rockfalls and minor landslides, especially after a long dry spell. If you must drive please be very cautious on the roads in mountainous areas. Anyway, walking and hiking is not recommended today.

Even when the sun is shining again after the rain the risk is still there as the sun will heat any wet and unstable rocks and soil which then will expand and could come tumbling down.

Some rain at long last

The first shower after a prolonged dry spell in Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera at 9 am this morning

The very long drought this winter is finally ending as a cold front from the Atlantic is beginning to affect the weather in the Canary Islands. As I write the first of the rain is coming down in Valle Gran Rey here on La Gomera island.

There is a warning of some heavy showers and even longer spells of rain, especially in the North but all areas are at risk. Accumulations may exceed 60mm in twelve hours and 15 mm in just one hour and weather alerts have been issued.

The cold front is bringing polar air which will make it feel noticeably cooler, especially in areas exposed to the strong to gale force northerly winds expected later and there is a gale warning. The mountains in the western Canaries even will get sleet or snow at above 1300 meters.

The weather situation will remain unstable at least until Saturday.

Anyway, mountain hikes are not recommended until the weather has improved, and don't be fooled by brief sunny periods. Don't undertake any unnecessary car journeys as there may be rock/landslides especially after the long dry period. Find yourself a cosy cafe or bar, or go swimming in the rain, the sea's still warm.

Waiting for the rain

Below a slideshow of images taken last night at around sunset (music by Can). We've only had a couple of very light showers in Valle Gran Rey so far, but elsewhere a lot more rain fell and present indications are that there's more to come. For all of the Canary Islands the 'orange' weather alert remains in place for today. A 'yellow' weather alert applies for tomorrow, Saturday.