Severe rain unleashed flash flooding in a popular Spanish holiday hotspot, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency.
Lanzarote in the Canary Islands was flooded by heavy rain which saw homes and cars inundated with floodwater in a two-hour deluge.
The towns of Costa Teguise, San Bartolome and Arrecife were worst hit, according to local authorities. The mayor of Arrecife requested the government to declare the city a disaster area.
An island-wide state of emergency was declared by the Special Civil Protection and Emergency Response Plan for Flood Risk (PEINCA), though it has now been lifted.
Footage shows cars submerged on waterlogged roads, streams turned into dangerous rapids, and homeowners using buckets to bail water out of their houses after as much as 60 litres of rain fell in two hours on Saturday.
Between 2pm and 4pm on Saturday local emergency services recorded around 150 flood-related incidents across the popular holiday hotspot.
The Canary Islands government ended the state of emergency in Lanzarote – declared on Saturday – at 7am on Sunday.
“Following the end of the flooding caused by rain on April 12 in the municipalities of Arrecife, Teguise, and San Bartolomé on the island of Lanzarote, the island emergency situation has ended,” it said in an update.
Authorities confirmed that there have been no reported injuries.
It will come as devasting news to British holidaymakers planning to get away for the Easter holidays.
The UK foreign office issued a new travel warning for Lanzarote on Sunday, which states: “Heavy rainfall and flooding in Lanzarote occurred earlier today with Costa Teguise, San Bartolomé, and Arrecife particularly affected.
“Services across the island are affected. Some hotels are currently without power. Some roads are currently affected by mud.
“If you are in Lanzarote or travelling to Lanzarote, follow the advice of the local authorities and monitor local weather updates.”
Local authorities in Lanzarote have urged the public to avoid travelling by road unless necessary and warned against attempting to drive through water-covered streets.
