Extreme flooding is wreaking havoc on the Spanish holiday island of Lanzarote following the passing of Storm Olivier.
Footage shared on X shows roads completely submerged by muddy water following days of heavy rainfall, which intensified over the island from around 1pm on Saturday.
Read more: Spain issues rare ‘meteotsunami’ warning for Spanish holiday island
Roads have been turned into rivers with footage showing rubbish containers being washed away by the streams, while many cars have been almost completely submerged in the water.
For the first time ever, the Canary Islands Government has declared an island emergency under the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Response for Flood Risk of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands (PEINCA).
The affected areas in Lanzarote are Arrecife, Teguise and San Bartolome, where emergency services have issued safety advice.
The 112 Canarias service said in a statement: ‘It has been necessary to activate both municipal and island emergency resources to provide assistance… in coordination with the Emergency and Security Coordination Center (CECOES) 112.
‘The General Emergency Directorate reminds people not to drive or park in ravine beds, as these are areas of the island where the accumulation of rainwater can cause flooding or runoff.
‘Furthermore, it is recommended that people avoid traveling on roads and that vehicles not access roads that are flooded by water.
‘It is important to check the (phone) battery in case it is necessary to call 112 to report an emergency or urgent situation. For information, citizens should call 012.’
The Canary Islands have seen several days of rainfall. On Wednesday, Tenerife recorded the highest ever amount of rain in a 24-hour period for the month of April.
It comes as a rare ‘meteotsunami’ weather warning remains in place for the Balearic island of Menorca.
Yesterday, state weather agency Aemet placed the islet on a yellow warning for so-called ‘rissagas’, aka a ‘meteotsunami’, which causes a sudden rise in the sea level.
The alert is in place along the whole Menorca coastline until 11.59pm tonight.
Aemet predicted that strong winds could cause the sea level to rise by 0.7metres.
It said the most at risk times will be during dawn, the early hours of the morning and at night.
