Gran Canaria’s main airport has been forced to shut after torrential rainfall battered popular British hotspots Gran Canaria and Tenerife for days, turning streets in the Canary Islands to rivers.
Rising floodwaters saw cars swept downstream as reservoirs burst their banks and covered entire neighbourhoods in sludge and debris.
Seven beaches in Telde, Gran Canaria have been shut off to the public after the island was stuck by flooding which saw one car being swept out to sea.
Gran Canaria Airport was rendered “inoperative” by deluge in the region, with all flights cancelled from tourist hotspot, according to airport operator AENA (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea).
They said “work is underway to make them operational as soon as possible”.
At least 80 people were trapped in a supermarket in Tenerife as rising waters shut off access to the car park, local media reported.
Authorities remain on high alert and have urged locals and holidaymakers to avoid travel or parking near ravines as more heavy rain is forecast in the region.
Juan Antonio Peña, The Mayor of Telde, was seen helping rescue efforts sweeping water out of the streets as he tried to make the town safe for tourists again.
“Thank you for so much understanding, help and support,” he said. “I am proud to be from Telde.
“Let us continue to show that we are prudent. This Tuesday we will remain on alert. Let us avoid travelling and parking in areas close to the ravines. Thank you.”
A Telde City Council spokesman said: “Telde closes access to its beaches due to danger risk after heavy rains.
La Garita, Hoya del Pozo, Playa del Hombre, El Barranquillo, Melenara, Salinetas and Eyes of Heron are affected by the restriction, until further notice.
“After the passing of the storm, the beaches are not in a condition to receive users, so it is being worked tirelessly both from the Beach Council and Road Cleaning and Citizen Safety, with the security forces and municipal workers, to leave them in their best state in the shortest possible space of time.
“We ask for patience to the users and thank you for your willingness to collaborate.”
The bursting of a reservoir with 700 thousand litres of water for irrigation closed one road in Telde in Gran Canaria.
AEMET, Spain’s meteorological agency, issued a “special warning” for heavy rains until Wednesday on parts of the island network popular with British holidaymakers.
Flooding has become more common in Spain, a country still reeling from the 217 killed and thousands displaced in Valencia in November.
An AEMET spokesman warned of heavy rains to come, saying: “The largest accumulations are expected in the interior of Malaga, as well as in the Valencian Community and south of Tarragona, where rainfall may be locally strong, or very strong, and persistent, with accumulations exceeding 100 mm in 12 hours.
“Also strong or very strong showers are expected in western Andalusia, locally accompanied by storms and frequent hail.”
