The Canaries are prepared to cope with an eruption

So they tell us, which is good to know when Tenerife is home to the world's third-largest volcano, Mt Teide.

An expert vulcanologist (no, this isn't someone who studies a species found in Star Trek, well probably not, anyway), José Luis Barrera, vice-president of the Official College of Geologists (ICOG), speaking on "Volcanoes and Air Security" in Madrid, has said that "The Canaries are prepared to affront - with guarantees - a volcanic eruption, such as that produced in Iceland."

He added that, "We have at our disposal risk assessments and adequate [1] evacuation plans in case of a destructive eruption." Then mentioning that the last time Teide erupted was in 1909, underlined that it still remains dormant.

Much of the rest of the article talks about the Icelandic volcanos Eyjafjallajokul that has already erupted and Katlá that could erupt any minute and how circumstances there and that led to the air blockade were "exceptional", but I won't bore you with the details since you can read pretty much all of those in the English press.

Barrera does attribute the eruption of Eyjafjallajokul with climate change and says that, "The increase in global temperatures originates the melting of the glaciers and provokes the increase in volcanic eruptions." [2]

Canarias está preparada para afrontar una erupción como la islandesa

[1] This, I guess, depends on what your definition of adequate is, because, as an example, I was told, by the mayor's mother in Garachico that the town - which was partly destroyed in the eruption of 1706 - "has a boat".

Yes, "a boat", singular, to evacuate a 6,000+ population. Let's hope they never need it, because you'd be more likely to get killed in the crush trying to board!

[2] Thank goodness eruptions aren't caused by "women who wear immodest clothing and behave promiscuously", or Tenerife really would be in deep do do!