What is closed on El Hierro?
Since Tuesday 10 November, 18:00, El Hierro has been under its island emergency plan, PEIN, at alarm level because of wind. Storm “Charles” is the cause as it passes the Canary Islands.
Four trails are fully closed: Jinama, San Salvador, La Llanía and Sabinosa. The Garoé and El Julan visitor centres and the Santuario de la Virgen de los Reyes also stay shut.
Traffic restrictions apply on five roads. The HI-45 is affected along its whole length, the HI-1 between the junction with the HI-120 and the Plaza de Candelaria.
The HI-40 is restricted between the Hoya del Morcillo turn-off and the HI-1. The same applies to the HI-400 between Hoya del Gallego and the HI-500, and to the HI-500 between the Pozo de la Salud treatment plant and the HI-400.
The island operations centre CECOPIN (Centro de Coordinación Operativa Insular) warns that the closures may widen with the weather. The reports from Tuesday do not say whether they had been lifted or extended by Wednesday.
What changes for visitors, and what do the authorities advise?
Anyone who planned walks or sightseeing must change their plans. The four trails, the two visitor centres and the sanctuary are shut, and the HI-1 is the main route to many destinations.
The Ayuntamiento (town council) of La Frontera has activated its municipal emergency plan as a precaution, at alert level. It advises people to avoid the coast, bathing spots and places exposed to swell, and to secure loose objects.
It also tells people not to cross barrancos (ravines) or areas prone to landslides. Unnecessary journeys should be limited in the most intense phases, and the Ayuntamiento recommends following official sources only.
In an emergency, call CECOPIN El Hierro on 922 555 112 or the emergency number 112. There is no information on flights, ferries, port closures or schools on El Hierro.
Aena, the airport operator, advised passengers on the western islands in earlier episodes to check their flight status. There is no current Aena notice for El Hierro, so travellers should ask their airline directly.
How strong will the wind, rain and sea be?
According to CECOPIN, the south-westerly wind builds gradually on Tuesday and Wednesday. Gusts of 90 km/h or more are possible in the afternoon and evening, with peaks of 100 km/h.
It blows hardest at mid-altitude, on the summits and on exposed slopes, above all in the north-west and south-east. The Dirección General de Emergencias (the Canary government’s emergencies directorate) cites gusts from 70 km/h in another report, so the figures differ.
For El Hierro, the Dirección General de Emergencias lists two alarms and three pre-alarms. The alarm for wind and coastal phenomena and the pre-alarm for landslides have run since 18:00 on 10 November.
The pre-alarm for flooding starts on 11 November at 00:00, the one for rain at 03:00. Up to 20 millimetres of rain an hour will fall, unevenly spread, and flash floods are possible in the barrancos.
The north-westerly swell reaches 3 to 4 metres at a twelve-second wave period, strongest on the open north, north-west and west coasts. High tide is 01:40 to 02:05 and 14:00 to 14:25 on 11 November, with wave overtopping risk highest two to three hours either side.
How often does El Hierro close for storms?
In December 2024, AEMET (the state weather agency) raised El Hierro to red during storm “Dorothea”, and gusts of 129 km/h were recorded on the island. The Cabildo (island government) closed the visitor centres for safety at the time.
In March 2026 the Cabildo lifted the PEIN after storm “Therese”, following about 100 call-outs, mostly for rockfall and debris on island roads. All roads then reopened, along with the El Julan and Árbol Garoé centres.
The San Salvador, Sabinosa and La Llanía trails followed, and only Jinama stayed shut for a technical check of the terrain. In the days after, the authorities urged particular caution because of the rockfall risk.
Power cuts hit Los Llanos and La Restinga on 2 November 2026, and rockfall blocked the HI-4 from kilometre 18 to La Restinga. The HI-1 at La Llanía was also blocked, and the Garoé and Julan centres stayed shut as a precaution.
Since December 2024, El Hierro has therefore activated the PEIN or closed visitor centres at least three times. Multi-year closure statistics are not available.
Who decides on closures, and what happens next?
The Dirección General de Emergencias of the Canary government sets the alarm levels, based on AEMET forecasts. AEMET’s colour warnings (yellow, orange, red) run separately.
The Cabildo decides on the island plan PEIN and the closures, while the municipalities run their own plans. The reports name no officials, only CECOPIN and the Dirección General de Emergencias.
The report on the PEIN activation gives no AEMET warning level for El Hierro. According to forecasts of 9 November, a wind warning applies across all the Canary Islands, with maximum gusts of 100 km/h on El Hierro and La Gomera.
AEMET forecasts a total of 60 to 80 litres of rain per square metre over the whole episode for El Hierro, La Gomera and Gran Canaria. From Thursday 12 November the rain should ease gradually, although AEMET still sees some uncertainty.
No official end to the closures has been announced. There is no information on the cost or damage of this storm.