An immediate threat to life warning has been issued in the Canary Islands as Storm Therese approaches the UK holiday destination.
A ferocious storm has wreaked widespread destruction across the Spanish archipelago, breaching dams, collapsing roads and trapping residents.
British tourists stuck in chaos just days before Easter holidays.
Landslide has caused disruption transportation links, isolated communities and stranded residents.
An Orange Alert has been issued by AEMET, warning of significant meteorological risk from unusual weather conditions with dangerous potential.
At least 110 calls for help were recorded in just two hours between 6 am and 8 am on Tuesday.
storm hell
Mass evacuations in Canary Islands Hurricane Therese brings more misery to the islands
island deluge
British tourists in the Canaries told to stay inside as Storm Therese alert upgraded
Emergency personnel helped pump out several homes, garages and basements.
El Diario reported that due to heavy rains brought by Hurricane Therese, the Pinto 1 and 2 reservoirs are near capacity and water will begin to spill.
Araucas City Council said: “Due to the anticipated increase in water flow, the public is urged to exercise extreme caution, as well as residents of towns and villages along the ravines.”
The Military Emergency Unit has been called in to help manage the emergency response.
schools Students in Firgas and Araucas have closed their doors this morning due to safety concerns.
The storm has caused a mass evacuation and more than 3,000 people have been evacuated or stranded in Gran Canaria alone.
Subsequently, continuous rain throughout the night caused the water level to rise and the entire community was cut off.
Holidaymakers have been told to stay inside as hotels have been damaged, roads have collapsed and reservoirs are on the verge of flooding.
Local media have dubbed it the “storm of the decade”.
The worst-hit areas include the Arguineguin ravine, where rising floodwaters have isolated dozens of people and triggered emergency measures.
In Agate, authorities ordered the evacuation of neighborhoods including Los Pérez and El Hornillo amid fears that a nearby reservoir would burst.
Evacuees have been moved to temporary shelter at a secondary school, while emergency services have warned that the situation could worsen.
Across the island, rivers are overflowing ravines, releasing water from at least 10 reservoirs and raising fears that the Las Ninas dam could overflow.
Heavy rains have wreaked havoc in major tourist areas including San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Santa Lucia, Mogan and Telde.
A main road was closed after the side of the ArguineguÃn ravine broke, while landslides have blocked more than ten roads – making some areas almost completely inaccessible.
In mountainous areas such as La Culata in Tejeda, residents have been forced to use alternative routes as access is severely restricted.
Coastal areas were also heavily impacted, with properties damaged overnight in places such as Pozo Izquierdo.
Britons’ travel plans have already been affected, with flights from London, Manchester and Newcastle diverted due to the storm in the islands.
Lanzarote was worst affected, with one cancellation and eight route changes, while flights from cities including Hamburg, Frankfurt and Rotterdam were rerouted to Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura.
Air travel is now slowly returning to normal, especially in La Palma, although delays remain.
In Tenerife, winds of up to 73 mph gusted overnight in Izana, causing devastation Power and street lighting in parts of the south-west and north-west.
About 30 people were initially affected by the power outage, of which only a handful are still without power.
Torrential rains have hit areas including Cruz de Ti, Vilaflor, Trevejos and Santiago del Teide, while coastal hotspots such as El Medano, El Puerto de Adeje and Gua de Isora have been hit by dangerous waves.
The roof of a hotel reportedly collapsed due to the extreme weather, as guests were warned to stay indoors.
Dramatic rescue efforts are underway across the island.
In La Gomera, 15 residents, including children, were killed when a retaining wall collapsed, leaving a large crater on the road in Vallehermoso.
Emergency teams have offered evacuations, with three people prepared to be airlifted out, while others have opted to stay in their homes.
In Tenerife, about 80 people – many of whom are homeless – are being kept in emergency shelters in Adeje, Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz.
Meanwhile, in Gran Canaria, five residents near the mouth of the Agate ravine have been evacuated, while another 60 are isolated in ArguineguÃn.
Hurricane Therese is refusing to subside, with yellow weather warnings issued across the islands – and orange warnings for mountainous areas as conditions worsen.
Forecasters have warned of thunderstorms and hail as well as intense rainfall of up to 30 liters per square metre.
Authorities have urged Britons and locals to avoid travel, stay away from ravines and pay attention to closed roads amid the threat of further landslides.
Teide National Park is closed due to snow, many hiking trails, forest tracks and high altitude routes are also closed.
Meteorologists say the storm will begin to subside between Wednesday and Thursday as the trade winds return – but warn the forecast is still subject to change.
