The Canary Islands are go-to holiday destinations thanks to their sandy beaches, lush scenery, and warm climate, and Lanzarote is one of the most popular with visitors.
However, the island was struck with flash flooding over the weekend, and 6cm of rain (around 2.4 inches) fell in just two hours, meaning a state of emergency was temporarily declared.
Though that’s now been lifted, it’s worrying news if you have a trip booked to the island in the next few weeks. So, here is everything you need to know about travelling to Lanzarote right now.
What has caused the flash floods?
The Canary Islands’ warm, dry climate and volcanic rock means that the ground struggles to absorb large volumes of water, and that’s why when torrential rain hits – like the rain brought in over the weekend by Storm Olivier – it leads to flash flooding. The storm swept over the Canary Islands as well as mainland Spain and Portugal, triggering several weather alerts.
A staggering 6cm of rain fell in just two hours, and its intensity meant a state of emergency on the island was declared.
While that was lifted on Sunday morning, plenty of areas across Spain will be under alert until tomorrow, Tuesday April 15, with storms predicted in the northeast, wind in parts of the north and south coast and rain in the Balearic Islands.
Which areas have been impacted by the flooding?
Thankfully, no injuries have been reported by the Spanish authorities according to the BBC, but some homes have been submerged and a significant volume of mud was left behind by the floodwaters.
Emergency services attended more than 300 calls in the early hours of Sunday (April 13) morning. Around 70 of them were in Arrecife and about 150 were in Costa Teguise, and San Bartolomé was also badly hit, according to authorities.
What’s the latest government advice?
On the Foreign Office’s travel advice page for Spain, it reads: ‘Heavy rainfall and flooding in Lanzarote occurred on 13 April 2025 with Costa Teguise, San Bartolomé, and Arrecife particularly affected. Services across the island are affected. Some hotels are currently without power. Some roads are currently affected by mud. If you are in Lanzarote or travelling to Lanzarote, follow the advice of the local authorities and monitor local weather updates.’
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