The government of the Canary Islands has announced a state of emergency in the tourist haven of Lanzarote following a two-hour downpour that inundated the island with severe floods.
The roads on the island transformed into swift-moving torrents, making the vehicles on them inaccessible and leaving the houses alongside them entirely drenched.
Much of the area surrounding several of the island's towns turned into soggy terrain, resulting in extensive regions submerged under murky, muddy waters.
People who were compelled to walk through the swift-moving water appeared to be battling as they attempted to reach safety.
In a particular video snippet, an industrial bin was observed rolling down a road sideways, with garbage escaping from its open end.
The torrential rain, left by an enormous storm on Saturday afternoon, forced local officials to call a state of emergency which was in place until 7am local time this morning.
It was the first time government officials activated the island-wide emergency under the Special Civil Protection and Emergency Response Plan for Flood Risk.
During the two-hour downpour, certain areas received approximately 60 litres of rainfall per square metre.
Consequently, emergency services on the island received 150 calls related to weather conditions during the two-hour period following the storm’s impact.
In the southern part of the island, the city of Arrecife suffered greatly from severe weather conditions—residents encountered the foul smell of unprocessed sewage due to floodwaters inundating the drainage infrastructure.
Similarly hard hit were the communities of Tahiche, Costa Teguise, Guatiza, and Nazaret.
Yet somehow, certain areas of the island remained entirely without rain.
Even so, authorities cautioned both residents and visitors to be cautious and to steer clear of non-essential travel.
It occurs weeks following the peak tourist season in the Spanish resort city of Málaga. became white following an unusual winter storm that blanketed portions of the area with a layer of hail and snow .
Stunning visuals appearing now depict roads inundated with floodwaters and large hailstones pelting down from somber gray skies.
Large hailstones pummeled vehicles and left the streets blanketed with a layer of white ice pellets in the town of Alhaurín el Grande.
Substantial hail was observed in locations like Campanillas, Puerto de la Torre, and Teatinos following Spain's national weather authority, AEMET, having expanded a yellow alert for intense rainfall and hail.
The Torcal de Antequera, a favourite among tourists, was also hit hard by the heavy snowfall, resulting in breathtaking vistas.
"If you're enchanted by nature in its most pristine state, now is the ideal moment to come here. Don’t let this opportunity slip away!" TorcalAntequera posted on X, capitalizing on the unusual event.
Even from Malaga Airport, one can see the snow-covered peaks, leaving both vacationers and residents amazed by this unusual weather phenomenon.
Further west, Sierra Bermeja, located behind Estepona, has also experienced substantial snowfall, providing additional wintry landscapes for enthusiasts.
Read more