Canary Islands struck by ‘dangerous’ weather event for 146 days, shock new study reveals | World | News
British tourists and expats in the Canary Islands are being cautioned over a “dangerous” weather phenomenon that now plagues the holiday hotspots for nearly five months of the year, a shocking new study has revealed. The popular Spanish archipelago is now choked by the notorious calima – dense clouds of Saharan dust – on at least 146 days every year.
The alarming findings, published by the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland and Spain’s IDAEA-CSIC, warn that these hazardous African dust storms are becoming significantly more frequent across southern Europe. While strict EU regulations have successfully driven down local pollution from traffic and industry, airborne desert dust has surged by a staggering 10% to 25% over the past decade.
According to the data, the Canary Islands bear the brunt of the crisis, with the calima now blighting the islands on 40% of all days each year.
The mainland hasn’t escaped the phenomenon either, with Saharan dust affecting southern mainland Spain 35% of the year, and the northeast around 25% to 30% of the time.
Researchers have blamed climate change for the dramatic shift. Global warming and greenhouse gas emissions are expanding African desert regions and altering atmospheric circulation, effectively acting as a giant vacuum that sucks hot, dust-laden air masses straight into Europe.
Air quality experts revealed that between 2020 and 2022, the region suffered unprecedented “super calima” events – the worst since records began.
Traditional dust storms usually produce PM10 particle concentrations of 200 to 400 micrograms per cubic metre. However, recent extreme episodes saw concentrations skyrocket to between 600 and 1,840 micrograms per cubic metre, with the most toxic reading recorded in Gran Canaria.
Medical experts are now sounding the alarm over the severe health risks posed to locals and holidaymakers alike. High concentrations of Saharan dust have been directly linked to an uptick in hospital admissions and a spike in deaths from heart attacks and respiratory illnesses.
Worryingly, research from the Hospital Universitario de Canarias found that heart failure patients had significantly worse medical outcomes if they were exposed to the dust prior to admission.
Health chiefs are strongly advising anyone with asthma, COPD, or heart conditions to rigorously check weather forecasts issued by Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET, before heading outdoors. Exposure to the toxic dust can cause severe coughing, breathing difficulties, chest discomfort, and leave victims highly susceptible to respiratory infections.
