Brits hoping to enjoy a much-needed half-term holiday of sun, sea and Spanish culture this week may be left disappointed as a huge dust storm is set to descend. The government of the Canary Islands has issued a pre-alert for calima across the entire archipelago from 6am on Monday (February 16), due to a significant increase in Saharan dust, which is expected to affect visibility and pose health risks.

AEMET, Spain’s national meteorological agency, has also updated its yellow weather warning for wind gusts of up to 90km/h (56mph), while issuing an additional alert for calima as conditions worsen. According to early forecasts from Meteored specialist Samuel Biener, skies across the islands “will turn hazy very soon” as a dense calima cloud moves in with unusually high temperatures “above the seasonal average”. According to the European model, the dust storm was expected to reach the eastern Canaries around 6am this morning, before spreading westwards around midday. The highest dust concentrations are forecast between the early hours and late afternoon.

Conditions should begin to improve from Tuesday, with the dust gradually clearing from Wednesday onwards.

During this period, Meteored’s Air Quality Index warns of “extremely unfavourable” conditions, advising vulnerable individuals, particularly those with chronic or respiratory conditions, to avoid exposure as much as possible. Intense physical activity outdoors is also discouraged.

Levels of PM10 particles – those smaller than 10 microns – are expected to exceed 400 μg/m³ on Monday, far above the threshold set by the World Health Organization. The WHO considers air quality “poor” when daily averages exceed 45 μg/m³, making this episode “particularly severe”, Meteored warned, reported Canarian Weekly.

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Reduced visibility is also expected across the islands, especially on Tuesday, as the dust cloud thickens. Holidaymakers and residents are urged to follow official self-protection advice for adverse weather episodes, including limiting outdoor activity, keeping windows closed and using approved masks if necessary.

This dust intrusion is being driven by the position of the Azores High, which is funnelling warm air towards the Canaries, while easterly winds push a plume of Saharan dust over the region.

Sand and dust storms are becoming more frequent and intense globally, riven by climate change-induced droughts, land degradation, and poor water management. Research indicates that between 2018 and 2022, 3.8 billion people were exposed to dangerous, high-level dust – a 31% increase from 2003 to 2007. Increased drought and higher temperatures dry out soil, making it easier for wind to lift it, while deforestation, overgrazing and intensive farming reduce vegetation cover, which acts as a wind buffer.