What applies to visitors on La Palma on 11 November?
The Dirección General de Emergencias (the Canary government's emergency authority) has set the highest wind level for La Palma from 00:00 on Wednesday 11 November. The same level covers the Tenerife summits, while the other islands sit one level lower.
The Consejería de Política Territorial (a ministry of the Canary government) expects the strongest gusts at night and in the first hours of Wednesday. The wind should ease in the second half of the day.
In April 2025 the government advised against driving up to the summits during a similar alert. The statement for 11 November carries no such advice, but the summits lie at the heart of the alert.
The government did not say whether roads, hiking trails or the airport are closed. If you are flying or planning to drive mountain roads in a hire car, check with your airline and the rental firm first.
How strong will the wind be, and where?
From Tuesday afternoon the Consejería expects gusts of 90 to 110 km/h on summits and in areas exposed to the south-westerly wind. The statement did not name which places on La Palma that covers.
Because of the terrain, gusts above 130 km/h are possible on summits and high ground on La Palma and Tenerife. The sea will also grow rougher.
The cause is Storm Charles, which is passing north of the Canaries and strengthening as it goes. It is heading for the Iberian Peninsula.
Which other warnings apply?
A rain alert applies on La Palma from 03:00 on 11 November, and a pre-alert on the other islands. The cold front crosses on Wednesday, partly with thunderstorms, and may bring heavy to very heavy rain to La Palma.
The Consejería expects the largest amounts there, both within one hour and within twelve hours. The forecast has the front moving quickly through the archipelago.
A coastal alert has applied on all islands since 18:00 on 10 November. A pre-alert under the PLATECA emergency plan for rockfalls also began at 18:00 on 10 November.
From 00:00 on 11 November there is also a pre-alert under the PEINCA special plan, which covers flooding on the coast, from rain and in riverbeds. The government bases this on the PEFMA emergency plan for bad weather and a joint meeting of its expert bodies.
The Canary government's levels are not the same as the colour warnings of AEMET, the state weather service. The emergency authority sets pre-alert, alert and maximum alert, using AEMET forecasts to do so.
What is ES-Alert, and what is known about the message?
The Canary government planned to send an ES-Alert message to the people of La Palma at 18:00 on Tuesday 10 November. It was meant to give advance notice of the maximum alert so that people could protect themselves.
The statement did not give the wording of the message or any specific rules of conduct. ES-Alert works by cell broadcast, in which phone masts send a message to all compatible phones in an area.
The alert sounds even when a phone is on silent, and in Spain it cannot be switched off. Devices running Android 11 or newer and iOS 15.6 or newer display it correctly.
A phone that was off or out of signal receives the message once it is back on, as long as the alert is still in force. Android 8 or older does not receive it.
What did the authorities advise in earlier storms?
During Storm Nuria on 2 April 2025, the emergency authority also declared maximum wind alert for La Palma and Tenerife. Gusts of 110 to 130 km/h were considered likely, especially in the east of La Palma and on the summits.
The authorities advised people to close doors and windows and bring in loose objects. They also urged people to keep away from trees, walls, scaffolding and signs, to postpone journeys and to call 112 only in case of danger.
After Nuria, the CECOES 112 emergency call centre counted 290 incidents across the Canaries, mostly toppled trees, walls and poles. On La Palma, seven municipalities reported problems, including landslides, power cuts and a paralysed airport.
The Caldera de Taburiente National Park closed all its trails. The highest gust named for La Palma was 111 km/h in Santa Cruz de La Palma, while the Teide National Park recorded up to 150 km/h.
These figures come from an earlier event and are no forecast for 11 November. They do show what a maximum wind alert can mean in practice.
What is still unknown?
It is unclear whether AEMET has issued a red warning for La Palma and from when until when it applies. Reports cite up to 130 km/h, and one headline mentioned a possible 140 km/h without the source explaining it.
School closures, emergency plans of the Cabildo (island government) and the municipalities, and closures of roads and parks are also unconfirmed. The government has not said what damage has occurred or when the alert will be lifted.
The wind should ease in the second half of 11 November, while the sea grows rougher. For current advice, check AEMET, 112 Canarias and the Cabildo.