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A Lanzarote local called Mr Travelon posted a weather update from the beach after Irish tourists were urged to be cautious during Storm Francis. Here’s what he had to say
Irish holidaymakers bound for the Canary Islands had been cautioned about Storm Francis, which was forecast to unleash powerful winds, torrential downpours, and even snowfall across the tourist hotspot.
However, one Lanzarote resident has offered a different view on the matter. Mr Travelon turned to TikTok to show what the actual conditions are like on the Spanish island at the moment.
While the weather has been blustery, the reality falls far short of the extreme forecasts that had been circulated. The expat, who wore sunglasses and stood beneath blue skies, questioned: “Where’s this’ storm Francis? Because it hasn’t arrived yet in Lanzarote.”
While he was donning a fleece, he didn’t need to wrap up in heavier winter clothing.
In the video, he continued: “It was meant to arrive New Year’s Day, we were meant to be seeing the new year in with a storm. Seas looking a little bit choppy, there’s a red flag up there saying ‘do not swim’ and I certainly wouldn’t be getting in that today. But is the storm here… it’s about 14 degrees!”
The travel enthusiast then swept his camera across the island, providing a glimpse into the weather conditions on January 2.
He added: “It is definitely a little bit breezy and the sun is coming up just over there. The trees are blowing so we’ve definitely got some sort of medium storm on the way, but they did say it’s possibly going to pass quite quickly. Will it be a pool day today? I doubt it. But that dark cloud is looking like it might start raining.”
Despite the local’s optimism, there’s still a possibility that the storm could strike later today. For that reason, holidaymakers are advised to stay vigilant over the next few days.
Consequently, AEMET has recommended tourists travelling to the Canary Islands to keep an eye on weather updates. It elaborated: “Due to the high level of uncertainty regarding the evolving situation and the potential impact on outdoor activities in the coming days, close monitoring of forecast updates is recommended.
“Today, Storm Francis is expected to affect the Canary Islands, bringing southwesterly winds to coastal areas with very strong gusts, as well as locally heavy and persistent thunderstorms that will move from west to east throughout the day and into the early hours of tomorrow.
“Strong winds will persist in exposed areas and mid-altitude zones until the middle of the 3rd. On the Iberian Peninsula, after a few days of relative stability with scattered showers in the Cantabrian region and the western third of the peninsula, increased instability is likely from the 3rd onwards in areas of the southern and southeastern thirds, with showers that could be locally heavy and persistent in areas of the Gulf of Cádiz, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Costa del Sol, and Cabo de La Nao.
“On the 4th and 5th, the potential interaction with the cold air mass could bring snowfall to mid- to low-lying elevations in the southeastern quadrant of the Iberian Peninsula, with the highest probability and accumulations expected in the eastern Iberian System, the eastern part of the southern plateau, the mountain ranges of the Valencian Community, and the area around the Baetic System. It is possible that snowfall will extend, with less intensity, to other areas of the Iberian System, the central peninsula, and the northeastern third of the peninsula. Additionally, snow showers are expected at mid-elevations in the Cantabrian area.
“From the 6th onwards, the most likely scenario is that precipitation will decrease in intensity and extent in southern areas, although it could still be locally heavy in the Strait of Gibraltar and Melilla, while snowfall will become restricted to mountainous areas, especially in the northern third of the peninsula.”
