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Holidaymakers in Tenerife have been alerted to a 'potentially scary' volcano warning, as the island prepares to activate its largest ever alert system. The Spanish island, known for its numerous volcanoes including the famous Mount Teide, has been experiencing a series of underground tremors recently.
Experts have warned that all residents on Tenerife are set to receive an "eruption" alert, which they need to be prepared for. As part of the largest ever volcanic emergency drill, many individuals will be asked to evacuate their homes.
The simulated emergency, already in the planning stages, will take place in the northern town of Garachico, with all Tenerife residents receiving a telephone alert on September 26. This will mark the first time a municipality in Spain has conducted a drill for a volcanic emergency.
The drill is being organised by the government of Tenerife and falls under the EU MODEX project. It will receive technical support and supervision from European experts who will assess the risk and impact of the volcanic emergency from September 22-28, reports the Express.
On September 26 at 9am, residents of Tenerife will receive an alert message on their mobile phones, simulating an eruption. Rosa Dávila, President of the government, stated that areas will be evacuated while other emergencies are also simulated.
The exercise will involve around 1,000 people, including government technicians, members of the Military Emergency Unit, and scientific organisations.
Ms Dávila said: "We must not forget that we are volcanically active islands although we are not at all facing an imminent situation of volcanic emergency neither in the short nor in the medium term."
Lucca D'Auria, director of volcanic monitoring at Involcan, emphasised that the recent seismic activity is "not at all" a sign of magma movement deep down. Rather, it's related to the island's hydrothermal system.He noted that these seismic swarms "fit within normality" for an island with an active volcanic system, which, although currently "is asleep, sooner or later it will wake up".