Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Airports close due to sandstorm on Spain's Canary Islands

by French Press Agency - AFP

MADRID Feb 24, 2020 - 11:27 am GMT+3
Planes are pictured at Tenerife South–Reina Sofia Airport during a sandstorm on Feb. 23, 2020 on the Canary Island of Tenerife. (AFP Photo)
Planes are pictured at Tenerife South–Reina Sofia Airport during a sandstorm on Feb. 23, 2020 on the Canary Island of Tenerife. (AFP Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP Feb 24, 2020 11:27 am
RECOMMENDED
Britain's Minister without Portfolio and Conservative party chairperson Nadhim Zahawi waves as he leaves the party head office, London, U.K., Jan. 24, 2023. (AFP Photo)

UK PM Sunak sacks Conservative Party chair Zahawi over tax debacle

United-Kingdom

Airports on Spain's Canary Islands were closed again Sunday after a sandstorm hit the archipelago, airport authorities said.

Air travel was first disrupted on the archipelago on Saturday after strong winds carrying red sand from the Sahara shrouded the tourist hotspot, forcing flights to and from the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife to be canceled or diverted.

Some flights briefly resumed Sunday morning before Spanish airport operator AENA was forced to close all eight airports in the Canaries – the three in Gran Canaria and Tenerife as well as five others.

"Visibility is very low," a spokeswoman for the airport operator said.

AENA said flights were being diverted to mainland Spain as well as to Cape Verde, Morocco, Mauritania and Portugal.

In a tweet, Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos thanked these countries for their "solidarity" and said air transport professionals "do not remember such adverse weather for air transport in the Canary Islands."

The regional government declared a state of alert on Saturday and advised people to keep doors and windows closed, avoid nonessential car travel and stay away from coastal areas.

Spain's national weather service warned that winds of up to 120 kilometers were set to buffet the Canaries until Monday.

Strong winds also prevented water-dropping aircraft from putting out fires near Tasarte village in southwest Gran Canaria, which have scorched around 300 hectares of land and forced 500 people to be evacuated, as well as in the neighboring island of Tenerife.

About 1,000 locals and tourists were evacuated in Tenerife as a precaution because of the risk from blazes which broke out near built-up areas in six municipalities on the north of the island amid scorching temperatures, said the head of the local government of Tenerife, Pedro Marin.

"We are facing a completely unusual situation. It is the first time that so many fires have broken out in so many municipalities at the same time, and in different places," he told a news conference.

Located off the coast of Morocco, the Canary Islands are a popular tourist destination for northern Europeans seeking winter sunshine.

The archipelago received 13.1 million foreign visitors last year, according to national statistics institute INE figures, making it Spain's third-most visited region.

RECOMMENDED
Britain's Minister without Portfolio and Conservative party chairperson Nadhim Zahawi waves as he leaves the party head office, London, U.K., Jan. 24, 2023. (AFP Photo)

UK PM Sunak sacks Conservative Party chair Zahawi over tax debacle

United-Kingdom
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom attends a press conference after his meeting with Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (not pictured) in Riga, Latvia, Jan. 27, 2023. (EPA Photo)

    Türkiye-Sweden talks on NATO bid suspended: FM Billstrom

    TÜRKIYE-SWEDEN-RELATIONS
    Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Libya's Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah hold a joint news conference in the Libyan capital, on Jan. 28, 2023. (AFP Photo)

    Italy, Libya ink $8B gas deal during PM Meloni's visit

    Libya

    Erdoğan slams foreign media for perception management pre-elections

    Recep-Tayyip-Erdoğan

    Türkiye issues travel warning for citizens visiting EU countries

    türkiye-eu-relations
    No Image
    Crashes, COVID-19 and winners: Best of Tour de France
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021