The decision came on Thursday evening: the City Council of San Bartolomé de Tirajana has officially postponed the Gran Cabalgata of the Maspalomas Carnival from Saturday, March 21, to Saturday, March 28. Storm Therese — the 19th named storm of the 2025-26 season, an all-time record — has left authorities with no alternative. CITA News, your news portal for Gran Canaria, reports on the latest damage assessment and the revised carnival schedule.
New Carnival Schedule: Everything Shifts
The postponement of the Cabalgata triggers a cascade of rescheduled events. The municipality had already moved the Drag Queen Gala, Carnival Canino and Gala del Turista earlier in the week. The complete new schedule is now confirmed — though the March 28 date clashes with carnival parades in Carrizal (Ingenio) and Arguineguín (Mogán).
Revised Maspalomas Carnival Schedule
Drag Queen Gala: Wednesday, 25 March, 9:00 PM (tickets valid, Mónica Naranjo confirmed)
Carnival Canino: Thursday, 26 March
Gala del Turista: Friday, 27 March
Gran Cabalgata: Saturday, 28 March (115 floats, 300,000+ expected)
Clash on 28 March: Simultaneous parades in Carrizal and Arguineguín
Damage in the South: Wall Collapse, Beaches Closed
Storm Therese has left visible damage across the south of Gran Canaria. At Playa del Águila in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, waves demolished a 20-metre section of a coastal wall. In Las Palmas, authorities erected a two-metre-high sand barrier at the Balneario on Playa de Las Canteras to protect infrastructure and lifeguard stations.
The Canary Islands emergency service 112 Canarias logged 96 incidents by Thursday morning — the majority on Tenerife, where a street lamp crashed onto a vehicle on the TF-5 motorway, causing kilometre-long tailbacks. Also on Tenerife, a school building sustained damage and the Valle Colino animal shelter in La Laguna lost its roof. All animals were rescued safely.
Schools Closed Across All Islands Today
On Friday, 20 March, in-person classes remain suspended across the entire Canary Islands archipelago. Both the University of La Laguna and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria have switched to remote teaching. Nurseries, day centres and municipal sports facilities are closed. The Las Palmas city government has shut all municipal buildings and outdoor activities until further notice.
Storm Therese — Situation on 20 March
Schools: Closed across all islands (Friday)
Wind: Gusts exceeding 90 km/h on ridges and exposed slopes
Rainfall: Up to 300 l/m² possible (La Palma, Tenerife; Gran Canaria not ruled out)
Emergency calls (112): 96 incidents (mostly Tenerife)
Flights: 47+ cancelled or diverted (as of Thursday)
Ports: Puerto del Rosario + Arrecife closed
Waves: Up to 5 metres on west and south coasts
Expected end: Sunday 22 March, gradual improvement
AEMET Warns: Worst Yet to Come Overnight
Spain's meteorological agency AEMET has updated its special advisory for the Canary Islands. The most critical window runs from Thursday night through Friday morning. Heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, will target the western and southern slopes of Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria. Intense rain is expected in the south of Gran Canaria on Friday morning.
Cumulative rainfall on La Palma and Tenerife could exceed 300 litres per square metre — bringing risks of flash floods in ravines, flooding in low-lying areas and landslides. Snow continues to fall on Mount Teide and the Roque de los Muchachos. Moisés Sánchez, director of 112 Canarias, warned that the exceptional duration of the storm — four and a half days instead of the usual 48 hours — makes Therese particularly dangerous.
Record Storm: 19th Named System This Season
With Therese, the 2025-26 season has now produced 19 named storms — an all-time record since the naming system was introduced in the 2017-18 season. The previous high was 17 storms in 2023-24. AEMET described the Canary Islands as the most severely affected region of Spain.
What Tourists in the South Need to Know
For visitors in Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés and Meloneras, strict precautions remain in place: beach access is prohibited when red flags are flying. Coastal promenades may be flooded by surge waves. Ravines are life-threatening during rainfall — never enter them. Do not park rental cars in dips or riverbeds. Secure balcony furniture. Anyone flying on Friday or Saturday should expect delays and cancellations.
The good news: wind is expected to ease significantly from Sunday. The outlook for the rescheduled Cabalgata on March 28 is far more favourable — by then, Therese will be long gone.
CITA News continues to monitor the situation. Latest warnings: aemet.es and @112canarias. Flight status: aena.es.
Cabalgata MaspalomasStorm ThereseGran CanariaCarnival Maspalomas 2026Canary Islands StormSchools ClosedPlaya del ÁguilaMaspalomasPlaya del InglésMelonerasAEMET WarningCanary IslandsTourist SafetyDrag Gala Postponed112 Canarias