Virtually all of Tenerife can expect thermometers to hit the mid-30s today, which will feel even hotter due to the lack of wind.

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura bore the brunt of the high temperatures yesterday and the heat wave is expected to spread to Gran Canaria today. The Met Office has raised the alert status to orange (‘major risk’) for Tuesday for all three islands.

Forecasters say the hot spell will remain until Thursday at least.

The sweltering weather has triggered concern at the prospect of fires on San Juan Night (23 June) getting out of control and causing major blazes.

The tinderbox conditions created by the current hot weather may force a rethink of the locations of the bonfires celebrating the shortest night of the year and the accompanying fireworks which are a tradition in some towns.

Fire brigades fear that sparks and burning embers could be carried by the wind to adjacent scrubland and woods, setting off dangerous fires. No decision has been taken yet whether to restrict the number of bonfires or ban them altogether in at-risk areas as a precautionary measure.