Mount Teide has woken up with a light dusting of snow, marking the first snowfall of autumn in Tenerife as lower temperatures and the arrival of Storm Adam bring unsettled weather to the Canary Islands.
The summit was coated in a thin layer of white after temperatures dropped overnight, allowing light precipitation to fall as snow, according to Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, Aemet.
Las Cañadas recorded the lowest temperature in the Canary Islands, at just 3.5°C, while the reading at Izaña was slightly higher at 5.1°C.
The cold weather has also reached the mountain peaks on other islands, with Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma recording 6.7°C.
The snow on Teide is expected to be short-lived, but it has certainly provided a striking start to the day.
Heavy rain triggers weather warnings
While the snowy summit might look rather pretty, Storm Adam has brought more serious weather across the archipelago.
Heavy rain began falling on Wednesday afternoon, and orange and yellow weather warnings remain in place for Thursday because of the risk of further intense rainfall.
Early readings included around 60 litres of rain per square metre in San Andrés y Sauces, La Palma, and more than 53 litres per square metre in Tafira, Gran Canaria.
What’s the forecast?
Aemet expects unsettled conditions to continue throughout Thursday under the influence of a DANA weather system.
Cloudy skies are forecast across the eastern islands, with periods of cloud over the western islands. Showers and thunderstorms are possible, and some could be locally heavy.
Light calima is also expected at higher altitudes, while maximum temperatures are forecast to fall, particularly across the eastern islands.
So, if you’re heading up towards Teide, expect chilly conditions and keep an eye on the latest weather warnings before setting off.