MILITARY forces are being deployed to Gran Canaria as Storm Therese wreaks havoc across the archipelago with torrential rain and severe flash flooding.
Local authorities have requested a level two emergency declaration to allow the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) to step in and assist with the escalating crisis.
Orange alerts, the second highest weather warning level, have been issued by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) for today and tomorrow.
The situation is particularly dire on Gran Canaria, where several dams are currently at risk of overflowing following relentless downpours.
In the northern municipality of Arucas, the mayor has suspended all school classes and ordered trenches to be dug to divert rising floodwaters away from homes.
More than 100mm of rain have fallen in just two hours, completely flooding the town’s new tunnels.
The Bañaderos and Arguineguin ravines have transformed into raging rivers, while the main road to Teror has suffered severe damage.
Neighbouring Tenerife has also been heavily impacted by the fast-moving storm.
The capital city of Santa Cruz recorded a staggering 15mm of rain in just 10 minutes.
This sudden deluge caused immediate flash flooding in the Ifara district, turning steep residential streets into fast-flowing waterways.
Lanzarote has not escaped the extreme weather, with intense downpours reported around the popular expat resort of Playa Blanca.
It comes as local meteorologists observing the storm’s intense vortex suggest the system is currently displaying highly unusual ‘tropical’ characteristics.
Amid the chaos, AEMET was forced to issue a public clarification after a computer mapping glitch mistakenly showed northern Gran Canaria without any active weather warnings.
The agency confirmed the area remains under a strict orange alert and advised residents to rely on official text updates rather than automated graphics.
However, the mood was vastly different on the smaller island of El Hierro, where lighthearted footage emerged of locals in La Restinga singing and dancing in the rain.
The destruction across the Canary Islands stands in stark contrast to mainland Spain, which is currently experiencing entirely dry and calm conditions.
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