La Palma goes dark as storm knocks out power to entire Canary Island
Torrential rain and lightning have plunged La Palma into darkness while snow has unexpectedly fallen on sunny Tenerife.
A massive power outage has plunged the Spanish holiday hotspot of La Palma into darkness, affecting the entire island after a violent storm struck early Monday morning. The Mirror reported [1] that strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning battered the Canary Islands, causing a complete loss of electricity for local residents and tourists alike.
The Independent noted [2] that authorities issued a maximum rainfall alert from midnight, with precipitation reaching up to 30 litres per square metre per hour. This follows a period of unusual weather across the archipelago, with the Mirror [1] stating that around 62 litres of water fell in just one hour on La Palma, while The Independent confirmed snow has unexpectedly fallen on the summit of Mount Teide in Tenerife.
Sergio Rodriguez, the head of the local government on La Palma, stated that telephone lines also failed but coverage was beginning to return. He estimated it could take up to five hours to fully restore electricity. The Mirror [1] quoted an Endesa source as saying the high-voltage network is an isolated system, making restoration complex. Meanwhile, Red Electrica announced on X that approximately 56% of the supply had been recovered and the transmission network was operational.
An emergency plan has been activated by the Canary Islands government to coordinate essential services. The Mirror [1] reported that 50,500 connections were knocked out of service. Local authorities have also temporarily closed all hiking trails on La Palma, known as "La Isla Bonita," citing safety concerns due to the weather alert.
The disruption extends beyond La Palma. Alerts are active for nearby El Hierro and La Gomera, with Tenerife and Gran Canaria on pre-alert. The Independent [2] highlighted that Mount Teide is closed to hikers without suitable winter equipment, although lower-lying areas remain pleasant with predicted highs of 28°C. This weather turmoil comes just weeks after minor seismic activity was recorded off the coast of Lanzarote, according to The Independent, which cited Spain’s National Geographic Institute regarding tremors of magnitude 3.1 and 2.6.
Sources
This article is based on reporting by the outlets below.
- Mirror: Canary Islands storm causes massive power outage as Brit holiday hotspots go dark
- The Independent: Canary Islands storm triggers power outage in tourist hotspot while Tenerife hit with snow
