Canary Islands Forced to Close Airports, Schools in Response to Sandstorm
Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands, experiences a dust storm known as the “Calima.” (Flickr)
A severe sandstorm struck the Canary Islands between February 22 and 24. This type of storm, known as the “Calima,” is a regular occurrence for the archipelago. However, the most recent storm was particularly devastating, with the islands’ regional president, Ángel Víctor Torres, calling it the worst sandstorm in 40 years.
The Canary Islands are a largely self-governing Spanish archipelago located off the coast of northwest Africa and are a popular tourist destination.
The “Calima,” typically described as a sandstorm, occurs when gusts of dust-filled wind from the Sahara cross over the water, covering the Canary Islands. The weather event also results in warmer temperatures across the archipelago.
The severity of this sandstorm forced the island to close all of its airports. As the storm came during a heavy tourist season, many of the islands’ hotels were already fully booked, which left many travelers whose flights were canceled stranded and forced to stay overnight in the airport.
Spanish Transport Minister José Luis Abalos commented on Twitter that “industry professionals cannot remember such adverse meteorological conditions for air travel in the Canary Islands.”
The storm posed a particular risk to those with respiratory problems, prompting the government to advise those with such conditions to remain indoors and keep doors and windows closed. At the height of the storm, the air quality in Gran Canaria was reported to be the worst in the world, as the air contained 40 times the density of particles deemed safe.
The Calima’s warm, dry winds have enormous potential to start wildfires. One such fire in Gran Canaria necessitated the evacuation of residents as poor visibility from the sandstorm made fighting the fire nearly impossible. The blaze destroyed hundreds of acres of land.
Conditions improved by February 24 and airport operations returned to normal.