Lorraine Williamson
The Canary Islands are still dealing with the fallout from Storm Therese after days of intense rain, flooding, and disruption pushed emergency services to the limit across the archipelago.
By Tuesday evening, the Canary Islands government said the 112 emergency service had handled 1,783 incidents linked to the storm since the bad weather began the previous week, including 653 incidents on Tuesday alone. Officials said the worst impact had shifted from the western province towards Gran Canaria, while Tenerife was expected to remain under particular pressure for several more hours.
Emergency measures stepped up in Tenerife and Gran Canaria
The regional government said it had moved Tenerife and Gran Canaria into emergency status over the risk of pluvial flooding, while El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera remained on alert, and Fuerteventura and Lanzarote stayed in pre-alert. Officials said the decision was taken because of persistent heavy rain, saturated ground and significant flooding in both Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
In its latest update, the government also warned of overflowing reservoirs in Gran Canaria, scattered but significant flooding, and dangerous conditions linked to landslides and swollen ravines. Residents were urged to avoid unnecessary journeys, especially on secondary and inland roads, and to follow the instructions of local councils and island authorities.
Tenerife saw some of the most intense rainfall
The Canary Islands government said Tacoronte recorded 60mm of rain in one hour, while several other northern Tenerife locations saw 30mm in an hour, especially around the La Orotava valley. Officials said further persistent rainfall was expected in Tenerife and La Palma before conditions begin to ease.
Cadena SER reported that Tenerife suffered hundreds of overnight incidents, with northern municipalities including La Orotava, Puerto de la Cruz, Los Realejos, Tacoronte and La Matanza among the worst affected. The broadcaster also said a section of the TF-5 motorway had to be closed and that around 2,500 people were affected by power cuts in parts of the island.
Gran Canaria remains under severe pressure
Gran Canaria has also been hit hard. The regional government said the island was placed in emergency status because of the growing risk from rising watercourses and flooding. Earlier reporting from Cadena SER said multiple roads were cut, homes were flooded, and reservoirs had reached capacity after exceptionally heavy rainfall.
El País reported that the Canary Islands government requested help from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) as the storm created what officials described as an extraordinary danger situation, with flooding, landslides, road blockages and power cuts across the islands. The newspaper also said emergency mobile alerts were activated and classes were suspended in affected areas.
What happens next
The government said showers should gradually start to ease on Wednesday, although uncertainty remains, and authorities warn that risks would continue while the ground stays saturated. Rain alerts remained active in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, with pre-alert status still in place in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.
In addition to the rainfall itself, it is also important to consider what follows after a prolonged weather event in fragile terrain: landslides, damaged roads, overwhelmed drainage systems and communities cut off even after the worst rain has passed. In Tenerife and Gran Canaria in particular, the clean-up phase could now become almost as important as the storm. This final point is an inference based on the official warnings about saturated ground, landslide risk and ongoing disruption.