Emma's waves can't stop bread delivery on La Gomera

...another image relating to yesterday's post. Source: Pan de Vueltas S.L., showing their bread van delivering during storm Emma's southern cold front with heavy swell hitting Vueltas, Valle Gran Rey.

Emma left us lunchtime, but not on this ferry

Armas'  Alboran arriving approaching Valle Gran Rey's harbour today lunchtime

The 'Alboran' (Armas) ferry attempted to arrive in VGR today lunchtime and successfully docked in the harbour of Vueltas in Valle Gran Rey briefly, but then had return to San Sebastian de La Gomea soon after without discharging. Mooring ropes broke and the ramp couldn't be lowered safely even in the harbour due to the SW swell and rough sea conditions caused by storm Emma.This again highlights the urgent need to construct 'phase 2' of the harbour development in La Gomera's south-western port. Other ferries were delayed or couldn't even sail.

Storm Emma left it's mark here and there was widespread damage along the coastal fringes of La Gomera island due to the high waves. Thankfully nothing serious and I've seen much worse here, anyway. In the images below council crews are trying to temporarily fill a major hole washed out by heavy seas at the roundabout of Vueltas. Canary Islands' national TV was there again to report live for their lunchtime news program.

The weather has calmed noticeably since, and while there still is a heavy swell, ferry connections are getting back on schedule.

Armas ferry Alboran beginning to go astern into VGR harbour (above and below)

Emergency repairs. Some council workers got a soaking with larger waves while working .

Weather slowly improving but ferries delayed

Be cautious: sea conditions still very rough with a powerful swell this morning

The weather in the Canary Islands is very gradually improving after last night's extreme conditions with storm force wind gusts widely felt in La Gomera and extremely rough seas which led to the suspension of all flights and ferry connections. The highest wind gust recorded on the island was a fierce 166 km/h last night with sustained winds of 113 km/h for a time.

There was a backlog of passengers in the ferry ports waiting for the ferries which are struggling to reestablish connections and having to face extremely difficult berthing conditions, as the sea is still very rough and a warning of a powerful 5 m swell is valid until 9 pm tonight, but the winds have decreased noticeably.

Anywhere near the sea there is a haze of spray in the air and the high waves did some damage to coastal infrastructure. There's a lot of debris on coast roads, which was being cleared yesterday, but more was flung ashore during the night. Weather forecast on top right sidebar.

TV crew reporting damage live from the La Playa area of Valle Gran Rey in front of closed coast road yesterday.

Emma's rain and wind

                                 

Amazing video of a heavy downpour in La Gomera (Source: Bistro Cafe in Vueltas). Any idea what language that is ?
...and by the way, La Gomera is cut off from the outside world as all ferry sailings and flights were cancelled this evening until the weather improves tomorrow.
The wind even increased this afternoon with the weather station in the mountains at the 'Alto de Igualero' recording a gust of 152 km/h at 4 pm  and the one at the visitor's centre near Agulo had a gust of 122 km/h a couple of hours later, while San Sebastian's harbour had a gust of 92 km/h. Storm Emma isn't quite finished with us yet...

Large breakers today

The above image was taken this Wednesday morning some time after low tide, showing the very rough sea conditions and high waves which did some minor damage to the beachfront in La Playa and the coast road to La Puntilla (statue) has been closed.  Many ferry sailings have been cancelled. Several alerts are valid until tomorrow morning. More details in previous post...

Weather two-faced this afternoon

The above image was taken earlier this Tuesday afternoon looking south-west, and without moving my feet I turned 180 degrees and immediately snapped the view up the valley in the opposite direction (below).

... and ten minutes later the cloud in the third picture appeared in the south-east.

Tomorrow storm Emma's southern flank will bring more gales and...read the full story

Ten minutes later

Another cold front to hit Canary Islands - Storm Emma

Gale warnings for late Tuesday and all day Wednesday.  (Weathervane on Vueltas pier)

Updated Tuesday, Feb. 27th 2018, at 9:55 pm:
Latest: 'Alerta Maxima' declared by Canarian Government for La Gomera, Tenerife, La Palma, El Hierro, and Gran Canaria. All below now updated and further information inserted:
After summer weather lasting into December 2017 (well, that's how it felt) and a prolonged drought into February '18 the Canary Islands are finally experiencing some 'normal' winter weather with the Atlantic taking over the reins (sic) from the Sahara.
The extremely cold weather all over Europe allows some low pressure systems to develop further south and to send some more wind and rain to the Canaries. The one that's going to make its presence felt here next started as major storm depression forming off the east coast of the US and achieved 962 hPa in mid Atlantic soon after with hurricane force winds near its centre, then tracked SE, later E to reach sea area just W of Azores by noon noon today as a storm of 968  hPa. Now it will slowly move just SE of Azores as a vigorous  depression of 972 hPa on Tuesday, with the associated wide-sweeping cold front forecast to affect Canary Islands later Tuesday and on Wednesday with potentially very strong winds and a band of heavy precipitation. The large depression has now been named 'Storm Emma' and will affect many parts of Europe when it tracks NE where it will absorb another low off France, and then affecting Britain and Ireland later in the week where extremely cold weather with gale-driven snowfalls is expected.
The situation for La Gomera and the rest of the western Canary Islands:

A gale warning of SW winds gusting 85 km/h has been issued, valid from 6pm Tuesday, February 27th 2018, and the gusts may be stronger in places.
A further status ORANGE warning of SW winds gusting 95 km/h or more in mountains is valid for all of Wednesday.  Tuesday just before lunchtime a gust of 103 km/h was already recorded in La Gomera's mountains).

There's also a status ORANGE warning of very rough seas combined with an increasingly powerful swell, which will be worst  from early Wednesday. It may bring waves of 5 - 6 metres to exposed coasts, not often seen in the Canaries. The warning is valid until Thursday.
FERRIES: 
The Armas fast ferry Alboran which connects Los Cristianos, San Sebastian de La Gomera and Valle Gran Rey has cancelled all sailings until March 1st due to the rough sea conditions and strong south-westerly winds.
News just in: Armas ferry 'Volcan de Taburiente'  serving Los Cristianos and SS de La Gomera, etc.,  has suspended all sailings tomorrow Wednesday Feb.28th 2018.
Fred. Olsen's 'Benchi Express' La Gomera ferry has also cancelled sailings from tonight until weather improves.
... and  I guess that ALL ferry services in western Canaries may be canceled tomorrow. 
Further temporary travel disruption (sea, air and road) may be expected Wednesday.

The rapidly passing cold front will also bring a spell of rain, heavy in places, and heavy squally showers after that. Status YELLOW warning of precipitation accumulating 60 mm in 12 hours and 25 in one hour is valid from 6 pm Tuesday until 8 am Wednesday ...and during the latter day squally showers could affect La Gomera.
Risk of rockfalls and landslips remains high. Avoid steep mountainsides, cliffs and ravines ! Also, be very cautious near exposed coasts.
Latest: All schools, colleges, etc., and all public parks, sports grounds, etc., will be closed on Wednesday. Some damage due to high winds (gusting well in excess of 100 km/h) reported from first-hit island of La Palma. Strongest gust in La Gomera so far: 111 km/h. Some flights have been cancelled, some delayed.

Above was updated Tuesday Feb.27th 2018 at 9:55 pm.

Storm Emma late today, Monday Feb. 26th 2018

Weather chart for 00:01 am Wednesday Feb. 28th 2018, when cold front is expected to arrive in west