Lorraine Williamson
Storm Therese is set to keep much of Spain on edge into Friday, with orange and yellow warnings in place for parts of Andalucia, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla as the latest weather system pushes in with rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Europa Press, citing AEMET, reported on Thursday evening that the worst conditions are expected in the Canary Islands, while parts of southern Spain also face a difficult start to Friday.
For readers in southern Spain, the clearest point is that this is not just a Canary Islands story. According to Europa Press, Andalucia has orange warnings for coastal conditions in Almería, Granada and Málaga, with yellow warnings for coastal phenomena in Cádiz, as well as yellow rain warnings in Cádiz and Málaga and a yellow wind warning in Almería. AEMET’s warnings page also shows an important coastal hazard for Granada, with easterly and north-easterly winds of 60 to 70 km/h and waves of three to four metres.
Canary Islands expected to be hardest hit
The most severe conditions are forecast in the Canary Islands, where orange warnings are active for rain in Gran Canaria, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and Tenerife. Orange warnings are also in place for wind in Gran Canaria, La Palma, La Gomera and Tenerife, and for waves in Gran Canaria, La Palma, El Hierro and Tenerife, according to the same agency report. Yellow alerts also remain in force across other parts of the archipelago for rain, wind, waves, storms and snow.
AEMET says the storm will maintain an unstable pattern in the islands, with widespread cloud, heavy rain in many areas and the possibility of thunderstorms and even hail. The forecast points to the heaviest accumulations on the south-west-facing slopes of La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, with snow possible above roughly 1,900 to 2,200 metres.
What to expect in mainland Spain
Therese is also expected to unsettle a large part of the mainland on Friday. AEMET says cloud will spread from the south-west towards the north-east, with rain affecting much of the southern half and far west of the peninsula, as well as Ceuta and Melilla. The agency says the heaviest rain is likely in the first half of the day in the south-west, and that parts of western Andalucia and the western Alborán area could see locally heavy falls and significant accumulations.
Winds are also likely to strengthen. According to AEMET’s forecast, easterly winds will be moderate across much of the peninsula but could become strong, with very strong gusts along the south-eastern coast and around the Alborán Sea. Strong gusts are also considered likely in Cádiz.
Why this matters overnight
At this hour, the weather story still has real value because it rolls directly into Friday morning. For Costa del Sol readers, the risk is less about dramatic inland flooding and more about rough coastal conditions, strong onshore winds and a poor start to the day along exposed stretches of the Andalucía coastline. In the Canary Islands, the concern is broader, with rain, wind and dangerous seas all combining at once. This final point is an inference based on the warning pattern reported by AEMET and Europa Press.
The key message tonight is simple: Friday is starting under active weather alerts in several parts of Spain, and the worst conditions are expected before the system begins to ease later in the weekend.