Gran Canaria: yellow rain warning, north, 2 November

What changes on 2 November for visitors and residents?

The state weather service AEMET warns of moderate rain in the “Norte de Gran Canaria” zone on 2 November from 12:00 to 23:59. The file belongs to the day’s morning update, and Spanish media give the same times as local time.

Yellow is the lowest warning level above “no warning”. It brings no restrictions, closures or deadlines, and our research found no closure of roads, schools or events on Gran Canaria.

The warning covers only the northern zone of the island. The file says nothing about the south with its holiday resorts, so rain there can be neither ruled out nor expected.

At yellow level the authorities advise people to follow the latest forecast and to avoid barrancos (ravines) and riverbeds. Heavy rain in the north can also make roads slippery, so extra care in the afternoon and evening makes sense.

How much rain does the weather service expect?

The warning threshold is 20 millimetres of rain in one hour, according to the AEMET file of 2 November. It puts the probability at 40 to 70 per cent.

On the consequences, AEMET mentions possible moderate damage to people and property, especially for vulnerable people or exposed areas. Its only instruction is to check the latest forecasts.

A summary of reports from 1 November still gave 15 millimetres per hour for the north from 12:00. The 20 millimetres come from the file of 2 November and are probably the later update, though our research could not see the early reports themselves.

For the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the private weather site tutiempo.net forecasts light rain between 00:00 and 01:00. From 14:00 the weather turns unsettled again, with a very high chance of showers between 17:00 and 18:00 at 21 to 24 degrees.

Tutiempo.net blames an Atlantic low (vaguada) that brings subtropical moisture. The site is not an official source and differs from the warning on one point, as it speaks of the “western islands”.

What is the Canary government reporting?

The Canary government (Gobierno de Canarias) keeps Gran Canaria and Tenerife on pre-alert (prealerta), reports Diario de Avisos. It declared an alert for La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera, starting in the early hours of Monday.

On the three alert islands, individual showers can be very heavy, with more than 30 millimetres in one hour. The risk is highest until about 15:00, and it may extend into the afternoon.

For Tenerife and Gran Canaria, the government expects heavy showers of 20 millimetres per hour or more, especially in the north of Tenerife and around the capital area. The authorities admit considerable uncertainty about where, how hard and for how long it will rain.

On Tuesday 3 November the rain should continue on the mountainous islands, but less often and weaker. The authorities say forecasts may still change before then.

Who issues yellow, pre-alert and alert?

AEMET assigns the colours yellow, orange and red under the Meteoalerta plan, which sets thresholds for each warning zone. Yellow stands for weather that is common but potentially dangerous for certain activities or vulnerable areas.

Orange means a significant risk and red an exceptional one, according to Maldita.es’s description of the system. For yellow, the platform advises avoiding unnecessary outdoor activities, and for orange suspending them.

Pre-alert, alert and maximum alert, by contrast, come from the Canary government through its Dirección General de Emergencias (emergency directorate). The legal basis is the PEFMA emergency plan for adverse weather, as summaries by Diario de Avisos and RTVC report, and our research did not check the primary documents.

For declaring an alert, Diario de Avisos cites thresholds of 30 millimetres in one hour and 100 millimetres in twelve hours. The figure comes from a search excerpt and could not be checked on the original page.

Why is rain such a big topic on Gran Canaria?

A long drought on Gran Canaria has recently given way to unusually wet months. According to RTVC, the eight large reservoirs were at times in a critical state, and in August 2025 the broadcaster reported them at the limit.

The storms “Claudia” in November 2025 and “Therese” in March 2026 lifted stored water from 2.3 to 39 million cubic metres. Cabildo (island government) president Antonio Morales gave the figure on 30 March 2026, as RTVC reports.

Therese triggered emergency level 2 on Gran Canaria, and according to Canarian Weekly and Stuttgarter Zeitung thousands of people were evacuated. Maspalomas24h reported road damage and twelve roads needing urgent repairs.

According to the Cabildo, the water is enough to irrigate farmland for about five years. In June 2026 environmental campaigners sued the power grid operator and the Cabildo over their handling of Therese in the south, a case that is still ongoing according to Maspalomas24h.

What is still open, and what comes next?

Our research had no measured rainfall, damage or incidents from 2 November. It also found no measures by the Cabildo or municipalities on Gran Canaria.

The warning runs until 23:59. Whether AEMET extends or raises it, or issues new warnings for 3 November, is open, as is whether the Canary government lifts Gran Canaria from pre-alert to alert.

AEMET publishes current warning levels on aemet.es. The emergency number 112 is normally meant for genuine emergencies, though the sources for this day say nothing on the matter.