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A thick Saharan haze, strong winds and now locusts. If it sounds like the opening scene of a disaster film, residents in Lanzarote could be forgiven for feeling the same.

 

The head of the Environment Department at the Lanzarote Island Council, Paco Fabelo, confirmed on Wednesday that a swarm of locusts has reached the island, carried in on recent calima conditions and powerful winds blowing in from the Sahara.

 

He explained that these insects do not travel huge distances by choice. Instead, they rely on the wind to carry them, and over the past few days the conditions have been ideal for their unwelcome arrival.

 

This year, he pointed out, there has been more humidity along the Saharan coast. Locusts need moisture in the soil to complete their reproductive cycle and after a particularly wet winter in North Africa, they have multiplied rapidly. According to Mr Fabelo, they have effectively reproduced as they pleased.

 

If Lanzarote were to experience significant rainfall now, it could create the damp soil conditions the insects need to breed locally. Mr Fabelo stressed that such a scenario would not be desirable, as it could allow the swarm to establish itself rather than simply pass through.

 

For the moment, officials expect the population to remain dispersed rather than forming a dense, coordinated swarm. The main concentration has been spotted along the west coast of Lanzarote, although isolated individuals have already been seen as far as Arrecife.

 

Image: Consorcio Insular de Emergencias de Lanzarote