I am wondering if someone could explain to me if there may be any link between the La Niña event to the unusually heavy rains we get from time to time in the Canary islands (27 north / 15 west) located off the coast of southern Morocco. I have been living there since December 2005 and over the years it seems that there is a link here. I am talking more specifically about Gran Canaria which is in the centre of the archipelago. Normally we have a variable amount of winter rains between November and March, which don't amount to much, these being associated with either frontal systems associated with large north Atlantic depressions in the vicinity of 45 - 55 north which occasionally penetrate this far south, or smaller lows which form near to the islands. As a result the southern part of the island (rain shadow area) gradually becomes dryer and dryer until all but one of the reservoirs on the island dry out. The north remains damp and green owing to the NE trade winds bringing year round moisture. However, during the period between December 2005 to February 2006 and then again during January /February 2010 and to a lesser extent during January/February 2011 we had torrential rains lasting for many days which fill the reservoirs within days and cause a lot of erosion, flooding and landslides. This also may have occurred around 2008 however I was away at that time. I noticed that if I remember correctly these rains were the result of extra tropical lows tracking from south west to North east towards the canary islands or just west of. Each time it seems to have occurred in the winter following an El Niño event. Does anyone have any more evidence that this is a possibility. Current we are again in a situation of extreme drought with all but one of the reservoirs along the southern portion of the island almost totally dry. You are welcome to email me at francis@oceanic-research.com