POPULAR holiday hotspots across the Canary Islands have been hit by devastating flash floods.
With the Spanish archipelago celebrating its world-famous carnival, warnings have been issued to locals and visitors regarding safe travel.
Floods have hit the Canary Islands in Spain[/caption]
A “special warning” has been issued to all eight islands after torrential rain hit the region on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
The Canaries usually enjoy sunny weather and average daily temperatures of 18C around this time of year, making them a popular holiday destination for British holidaymakers.
However, a red alert remains in place for Gran Canaria after the weather warning was increased on Monday, March 3, and an emergency plan has now been announced across all the islands due to severe threats of rain, hail and snow.
The adverse weather has seen streets in Gran Canaria turn into rushing rivers and Tenerife’s Teide volcano become covered in thick snow.
Dramatic scenes have unfolded with people being rescued from torrents of water while one video showed a car being swept out to sea at Playa Salinetas beach.
Here’s everything we know about the current weather warnings and travel advice for the islands:
Location of the floods
Although heavy showers have fallen across a number of islands, the flooding has been concentrated in Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
The area of Telde in Gran Canaria is one of the hardest hit by the rainfall, with many cars washed away by muddy, fast-flowing waters.
In Tenerife, 80 people were reportedly trapped in a supermarket by floodwaters and had to be rescued by emergency services.
Similar flooding has not occurred on the other islands, but the unstable weather has caused persistent showers and snowfall elsewhere.
Despite the rain being most severe in Tenerife and Gran Canaria, Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET, has “not ruled out” heavy showers in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma.
The deluge — caused by a weather phenomenon known as DANA — comes just months after floods killed over 200 people in Valencia in October 2024.
Weather warnings
AEMET has issued yellow rain warnings across all the Canary Islands, with a red alert in Gran Canaria.
Tenerife and La Palma are also under a yellow alert for snowfall.
Tenerife’s Mount Teide has been covered in thick snow[/caption]
According to AEMET: “In the central peaks of Tenerife and La Palma, snowfall is expected, which may take the form of showers and which could be locally heavy, leaving accumulations that are expected to be more significant at higher altitudes.”
The General Directorate of Emergencies has also warned of “locally heavy rainfall, snowfall at high altitudes, and possible thunderstorms” across all eight islands, as reported by Canarian Weekly.
Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria expected to be worst affected by the storms.
These weather warnings are in place until Wednesday, March 5, but AEMET has cautioned that the severe weather could extend into the weekend.
Travel advice for the Canary Islands
If you are visiting the island chain, whether your trip will be affected will largely depend on which area you are visiting and when you are travelling.
Gran Canaria airport is currently inactive due to flooding on the runway, local media reports.
Flights to and from all other major Canary Islands airports are operating smoothly but with minor delays.
However, local authorities have advised tourists to stay inside and avoid snowy areas.
While weather warnings are in place, people are urged to avoid unnecessary travel, check official warnings, and prepare emergency supplies in case of power cuts.
These weather warnings are due to be lifted on Wednesday, March 5, but could last until later in the week should conditions change.
Beaches in Gran Canaria have been closed, as have all roads into the popular Teide National Park in Tenerife, so visitors’ hiking and sunbathing activities will likely be impacted on these islands.
The weather alerts also come as the Canaries celebrate their world-renowned carnival — this year being held from January 31 to March 9.
Across the islands, several festival events have been cancelled or postponed because of the bad weather.
The Canary Islands are famous for their carnival celebrations[/caption]
Local authorities have urged people to avoid unnecessary travel[/caption]
