Flash floods devastate popular Spanish island

The Spanish island of Lanzarote continues to recover from widespread damage after Storm Olivier triggered severe flooding across the tourist hotspot on the weekend, when it dumped more than 100 liters of rain per square meter in just two hours.

The Canary Islands government lifted its 24-hour state of emergency, initially declared on Saturday, at 7 am on Sunday, with authorities con-firming no injuries were reported during the crisis.

Meteorologists are warning of additional severe weather throughout the Easter week, which could complicate ongoing recovery efforts in the affected eastern and inland areas of Lanzarote, including Arrecife, Costa Teguise, and San Bartolome.

Authorities in both Ireland and in the United Kingdom updated their travel advice for visitors to Lanzarote, urging tourists to follow local guidance as flash floods transform roads into muddy torrents and leave homes inundated across the island.

"We have been working all night, attending 300 calls overnight, many of them in Arrecife and Teguise," explained Enrique Espinosa, head of emergency services for the Lanzarote government. "Some houses are flooded and what remains is a great quantity of mud."

Emergency services reported that the rapid accumulation of rainwater had left numerous properties submerged, while several hotels had lost power supplies. Multiple access routes remain impassable due to debris and waterlogged terrain.

One tourist told The Independent newspaper: "I have never seen anything like this before and I have been coming here for years, it is absolutely bizarre."

During a news conference on Monday, Oswaldo Betancort, the president of the Lanzarote local government, called for improvements in meteorological detection systems, noting that more timely warnings are needed before such heavy rainfall, reported the national broadcast network Cadena SER.

He said flooding had resulted in approximately 200 incidents in Arrecife and 75 in Teguise, including water damage in four schools and the temporary closure of three hotels in Costa Teguise. Emergency services responded to more than 300 calls, primarily related to water removal, road obstructions, and disruptions to basic utilities like electricity and water, he added.

While Lanzarote continues its flood recovery efforts, mainland Spain and the entire Canary Islands archipelago, of which Lanzarote is a part, now face additional weather challenges. Spain's State Meteorological Agency forecast more turbulent conditions across the country through the Easter week, as a polar air mass descends from Tuesday.

The agency warned the surge could bring snow to elevations as low as 900 meters throughout the Spanish peninsula, while coastal regions, particularly in the northeast and the Balearics, face strong winds and intense storms.

Experts say sudden and severe weather events, such as flash floods, are becoming increasingly common across Europe as the climate changes.