What happens on 22 October on Tenerife?
The General Directorate for Emergencies of the Canary Islands Government will send three warning messages via the ES-Alert system on Thursday, 22 October 2026, between 09:00 and 14:00. The messages will be sent through the Emergency and Security Coordination Centre CECOES 112, as announced by the Canary Islands Government.
The first message goes to the whole island of Tenerife. It simulates the change of the volcanic traffic light to orange under the Canary Islands volcanic protection plan PEVOLCA. The second message mainly affects Guía de Isora and Santiago del Teide and simulates a precautionary evacuation exclusively of the districts of Chirche and Aripe.
The third message announces the end of the exercise. Because of the range of mobile phone cells, the messages may also arrive in parts of Gran Canaria, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro as well as on inter-island sea routes, according to the authorities.
What does the alert mean for holidaymakers and residents?
For residents, foreign residents and tourists, no new obligations, fees, price changes, entry requirements or closures apply during the test. Nobody should evacuate, stay at home, go out into the street or call the 112 emergency number because of the test message.
No response to the message is required.
Which devices receive the test message?
The ES-Alert system uses cell broadcast technology. No app and no registration are required, as the official information from 112 Canarias explains.
Phones that are switched off or in flight mode will not receive the message as long as they remain in that state.
Anyone who wants to check their configuration can find instructions on the official website of 112 Canarias. Phones that enter a coverage area while the alert is active may also receive the message.
What is VOLCANEX Tenerife 2026?
The test messages are part of the volcanic hazard scenario VOLCANEX Tenerife 2026, organised by the Island Council of Tenerife. The main location is the municipality of Guía de Isora, as Diario de Avisos reports.
The exercise also tests evacuation scenarios, rescue and health services as well as the care of older people, people with reduced mobility, tourists and animals. The accommodation of evacuees, the protection of key infrastructure and the coordination of emergency services are also being tested.
What should drivers and local residents bear in mind?
The authorities recommend staying calm. Anyone driving when the alert sounds should stop in a safe place before reading the message and then press "Aceptar", according to the official guidance.
Receiving a message outside the actual target area does not mean that the location in question is affected. The Canary Islands Government makes this expressly clear.
The message does not announce a real eruption or a real evacuation or confinement order. It is exclusively an exercise.
What remains open?
According to the available information from the authorities, it remains open at which exact minutes the three messages will be sent. It is also not guaranteed that every individual device will actually receive the message.
The official communication does not state a budget for the exercise or a breakdown of funding between the administrations. Comparable figures from previous tests have also not been published.
The next announced event is the test on Thursday, 22 October 2026, in the time window from 09:00 to 14:00.