Canary Islands' airports reopen as wind and sandstorm ease

 All airports on Spain's Canary Islands h reopened Monday after authorities said worst is over from strong winds that have thickened air with sand and dust from Sahara desert.

sandstorm was accompanied over weekend by wind gusts up to 120 kph (around 75 mph) that also fanned at least three wildfires on different islands of archipelago some 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of African coast.

Primary schools were closed on all eight islands Monday.

he of regional government, Ángel Víctor Torres, said authorities are hoping for situation to ease as wind speeds diminished and a mild rain fell on some of islands.

“It's been a nightmare of a weekend,” Torres told Spain's public brocaster TVE. "We haven't seen an episode like this in 40 years.”

He said that authorities were focusing resources on fighting wildfires, including one in a natural reserve on island of Gran Canaria. Some 2,000 people evacuated on ar island, Tenerife, were returning home on Monday after firefighters tamed a fire re overnight, Torres said.

AENA, Spanish airports operator, said in a tweet that flights h resumed from all eight airports of archipelago.

Incoming and outgoing flights h been canceled due to wind gusts and thick yellow haze that enveloped islands, a phemen locally kwn as “calima” that is capable of lifting up clouds of sand and dust from Sahara.