A rare red alert has been issued for the Canary Islands as Storm Nuria is set to batter the popular tourist spot. The Spanish Weather Agency AEMET has warned that strong winds exceeding 80mph (130 km/h) causing "extraordinary danger" are likely to hit eastern La Palma for 12 hours from 5am on Thursday. 

The alert has pushed the authorities into action. The Canary Islands government has declared a maximum alert situation for La Palma and Tenerife, and alerts are also in place for other islands. An orange alert has been issued for Gran Canaria, La Gomera, El Hierro, and Tenerife, with wind gusts up to 62mph (100 km/h) affecting these popular areas.

In addition, the weather agency has issued a yellow alert for Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. 

According to the weather agency, all islands will experience rough seas, with heavy rainfall also expected on the more mountainous islands, reports The Olive Press News. 

Even the mainland will be affected by the unsettled weather, with yellow alerts issued for Aragon, Navarra, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, and Madrid. 

The regions are expected to witness strong winds, rough coastal conditions, and plenty of rainfall.

The weather experts believe that the conditions are likely to improve from Friday, however, winds are likely to remain strong in northern parts of Spain. 

Storm Nuria is the 14th named storm of the season and the fifth in less than a month, following Jana, Konrad, Laurence and Martinho, though none triggered the rare red alert now in place for La Palma.