What applies on La Palma on 2 November?

The Canary government keeps La Palma on the Alerta rain warning from midnight into Monday 2 November, El Día reports. La Gomera and El Hierro are new at this level, having been on the lower Prealerta stage until now, according to RTVC.

AEMET also warns orange for the western islands, according to Diario de Avisos. Tenerife, whose metropolitan area was still on Alerta on Sunday, drops to Prealerta along with Gran Canaria.

El Día puts the cause down to strong convective activity around El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera. That means scattered, isolated showers that can turn very heavy.

More than 30 litres per square metre could fall in an hour. This is most likely in the morning up to 15:00, but the forecast does not rule out rain lasting into the afternoon.

What does this mean for visitors in the south of the island?

The reports available name no individual municipalities, in the south or the north. RTVC writes on 1 November that the Alerta covers La Palma as a whole from 2 November.

Villa de Mazo recorded 21 millimetres overnight, RTVC says. The sources do not show whether the southern holiday resorts get more or less rain.

None of the sources consulted confirmed cancelled flights or ferries, or school closures, on the western islands. If you fly on Monday, have a ferry booked or plan a tour, check with the airline, ferry company or tour operator as a precaution.

What advice do the authorities give?

The Canary government urges people to protect themselves, according to El Día. RTVC lists the specific advice on 1 November: secure windows and doors, drive slowly, avoid flooded areas and call 112 in an emergency.

For the warning of 31 October, RTVC gave further tips. Avoid unnecessary journeys, do not park near a barranco (ravine), keep away from scaffolding and cancel excursions and camping.

For the warning of 22 October, the government also advised homeowners to check roofs, terraces, water tanks and drains. Emergency supplies should be at hand too, RTVC adds.

Who actually declares the warning levels?

The Canary government’s emergency directorate (Dirección General de Emergencias) declares the levels Prealerta, Alerta and Alarma. AEMET issues its own weather warnings separately, in yellow, orange and red.

The basis is PEFMA, the Canary emergency plan for adverse weather, adopted by Decree 18/2014 of 20 March and published in the BOC (the Canary Islands’ official gazette) No. 70/2014.

RTVC gives the thresholds on 31 October: Alerta from 30 millimetres in an hour, Prealerta from 15 millimetres. The forecast of up to 20 litres for Tenerife and Gran Canaria sits between the two values and fits Prealerta.

What happened on Sunday on the other islands?

On La Gomera there were isolated power cuts in the early morning, according to RTVC. The source reported damage on the El Rejo road and on the Las Hayas–Arure link.

On Tenerife, some water collected in El Médano in the south, and there were minor power disruptions. There is snow on Teide, and access is restricted.

Blanca Pérez, Tenerife’s concejala de Seguridad (councillor for security), said the risk peaks around midday, above all in towns and cities, according to RTVC. The Cabildo (island government) planned to close the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium, the sports hall, the trade fair grounds and the auditorium from 10:00 on Sunday.

How unusual is this, and what happens next?

In March 2026, storm “Therese” brought 615.2 litres per square metre in seven days at Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma, as measured by AEMET, RTVC reports. On 24 March alone, 242 litres fell there.

At the reference station at La Palma airport, the previous monthly record was 335.8 litres in November 2004. The forecast puts the rain of 2 November on a different scale, but memories of such events remain fresh on the island.

As early as 22 October, the government declared the Alerta for El Hierro, La Gomera and eastern La Palma, with up to 100 litres in twelve hours. After the 2021 volcanic eruption, experts warned of mudflows in barrancos such as Tenisca, Las Palomas and Tamanca; whether that applies today is unconfirmed.

On Tuesday 3 November, El Día says, rain continues in all mountain areas but more lightly, with AEMET yellow for the western islands and Gran Canaria. The emergency directorate had not published, as of Sunday, when it will lift the Alerta.