In the Canary Islands, a sandstorm swirls air traffic. There are numerous delays due to violent winds. Now the schools are closing down too.
Madrid (dpa) - A Sahara sandstorm has the Canary Islands under control.
After the air traffic was significantly impaired at the weekend and all airports of the islands belonging to Spain were temporarily closed, the lessons for all students were canceled.
The planned carnival celebrations in Gran Canaria were canceled. On Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and in the north of Tenerife, the yellow alert level continued due to strong winds. "We have not seen anything like this in 40 years," said Canary Islands President Ángel Víctor Torres on Spanish television.
The airports of the islands have meanwhile resumed operation, but there are still impairments, said the airport operator Aena on Twitter. Passengers were asked to contact their airlines for more information.
At the weekend, gusts of wind at speeds of over 150 kilometers per hour were measured on the islands in the Atlantic off the west coast of Africa. At the beginning of the week, however, these had abated significantly.
"There were huge waves here on Sunday, and most of the roads were closed due to the storm," said a German tourist from Heinsberg, who is on vacation on the island of La Palma, the German Press Agency. "The sea has calmed down now, but it's still all dusty." Many people find it difficult to breathe.
The weather phenomenon is called "Calima". Fine sand from the Sahara desert is carried by the hot wind over the sea to the Canaries. The fine sand, which is in the air everywhere, severely limits the visibility.
Spanish television report
Tweet from Aena
