What reopens in Arona, and from when?

Arona’s public spaces and facilities have been open again since 11:30 on 8 November, the Ayuntamiento (town hall) said at 13:19. The closure began at 00:00, so it lasted eleven and a half hours.

The announcement does not say which facilities have reopened. Whether sports centres, libraries, cultural venues or markets are included remains unclear.

Anyone with an appointment at a council facility should check first with Atención Ciudadana, Arona’s citizen service office. It can be reached on +34 922 761 600.

The Cabildo (island government) had recommended that all 31 municipalities on Tenerife activate their emergency plans. There is no confirmed information yet on openings outside Arona.

Why was Arona closed in the first place?

Arona’s Alcaldía (mayor’s office) ordered on 6 November at 17:45 that all outdoor activities and those in municipal facilities stop. The closure ran from 00:00 on 8 November “until the end of the weather event”, and the announcement gave no fixed end.

The legal basis was the resolution of 6 November, which put Tenerife’s island emergency plan (PEIN) on Alerta, the alert level. The announcement also cites the PEIN recommendations.

AEMET, the state weather agency, issued yellow warnings for thunderstorms, possibly with hail. On wind the sources disagree: one gives orange with 90 km/h in the north, another yellow.

As a precaution, Arona activated the CECOPAL coordination centre and the municipal emergency plan PEMU, according to an attachment to the announcement. The text of the announcement does not show what these documents contain.

Who decides on alert levels and closures?

The regional government, the Gobierno de Canarias, decides which alert level applies: it sets Prealerta, Alerta and Alerta máxima. It does so through its Dirección General de Emergencias, using AEMET data, according to reports on PEFMA, the regional plan for adverse weather.

At Alerta the regional government coordinates the response, and the Cabildos activate their own plans, on Tenerife the PEIN. Road crews, fire services and Protección Civil (civil protection) switch to a different readiness mode.

Arona followed the PEIN level with its orders: Alerta on 6 November, Prealerta on 8 November. When a resolution of 8 November lowered the level, the town reopened.

According to an academic paper from the ULPGC, authorities see no risk to the general public at Prealerta. They see it only for certain activities or especially vulnerable places, and a level ends as soon as its conditions lapse.

What still applies to trips and hikes?

The recommendations of the Dirección General de Emergencias remain in force after Arona’s second announcement. The text does not list them.

During the alert of 21 October, the agency advised against crossing barrancos (ravines) and riverbeds, even where the water looks shallow. It also warned against cellars and garages in flood-prone areas.

The agency further advised securing loose objects on roofs and terraces and driving carefully. The emergency number 112 is for emergencies only, not for weather information.

According to the Cabildo, nature-reserve tracks, paths and trails were closed to access and movement from 00:00 on 8 November. Whether the ban still applies is unconfirmed, but a new Cabildo resolution is to lift the measures once risks pass and damage is recorded.

The Cabildo, under Rosa Dávila, asked people to avoid unnecessary journeys. Anyone planning trips in the south should allow extra time and check routes in nature reserves beforehand.

What happens next, and what remains open?

According to reports, AEMET expects a temporary improvement on Monday 9 November and for much of Tuesday 10 November. After that the situation is due to worsen again, though sources differ on when the easing ends and one names Thursday.

Arona has not said whether it will close again if conditions worsen. The warning colour in Arona’s documents, the list of affected facilities and possible school closures also remain open.

No reports of damage or incidents in Arona are available. The closure falls on the municipal budget, and Arona gave no figures.

The regional government declared Alerta from 00:00 on 22 October for El Hierro, La Gomera and the east of La Palma, and Prealerta for the rest of the Canaries. Reports on 31 October and 1 November also noted an earlier, separate PEIN pre-alert for rain and thunderstorms.