What happens on 22 October on Tenerife?
On Thursday, 22 October 2026, CECOES 112 Canarias will send three warning messages via the ES-Alert system between 09:00 and 14:00. According to Diario de Avisos, the exact time of each message has not yet been set.
The first message is aimed at the whole of Tenerife. It simulates the change of the volcanic traffic light to orange under the Canary Islands volcanic emergency plan PEVOLCA. According to the Dirección General de Emergencias of the Gobierno de Canarias, this does not mean a real volcanic eruption and no actual evacuation or stay-indoors order.
The second message simulates a precautionary evacuation solely of the Chirche and Aripe areas in the municipalities of Guía de Isora and Santiago del Teide. A third message confirms the end of the exercise.
Who can receive the warning message?
Residents, foreign nationals and holidaymakers whose mobile phone is within the relevant signal area during the sending may be affected. Because of the reach of mobile phone masts, messages can also arrive in parts of Gran Canaria, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, as well as in sea areas between the islands.
The second warning can additionally reach mobile phones in Adeje, Los Silos, Buenavista del Norte and El Tanque. According to the Gobierno de Canarias, receiving it outside the actual target area does not mean that an evacuation has been ordered there.
Compatible devices generally receive the function automatically, provided it has not been manually deactivated: Android version 11 or later and iOS version 15.6 or later. No app, registration or fee is required.
What should you do when the test message arrives?
There is nothing to do: do not evacuate, do not stay indoors at home and do not call the 112 emergency number because of the test message. Recipients close the message by confirming with “Aceptar”.
The phone can sound loudly and vibrate even when silent mode is activated. The message appears when it is sent or when entering the network area; if the phone is switched off or in flight mode, it will not be received.
Anyone who is driving should not stop abruptly, but should read the message in a safe place. People who are temporarily outside network coverage can receive the notice when they reconnect to their provider's network.
Why is the alarm being tested?
The exercise is part of VOLCANEX Tenerife 2026, a volcano simulation scenario in Guía de Isora organised by the Cabildo de Tenerife. The warnings are the responsibility of the Dirección General de Emergencias of the Gobierno de Canarias via 112 Canarias.
ES-Alert is part of the Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil and enables notices to people in an affected area in the event of wildfires, floods, volcanic eruptions or severe weather. In the Canary Islands, the system has already been used in real emergencies, including wildfires on Tenerife and La Palma and Storm Therese on Tenerife and La Gomera.
The test on 22 October is intended to further familiarise the public with a system that complements notices from emergency services, media, social networks and loudspeaker announcements.
What is still open?
The only thing still open is the exact time of the three messages. The next fixed measure is the test on 22 October 2026, whose final notice is intended to indicate the end of the exercise.
The message carries the word “PRUEBA” and is accompanied by a sound and a vibration. To dismiss it, it is enough to read the message and press “Aceptar”.