Lanzarote floods leave cars submerged as Canary Islands declare state of emergency

Torrential rain has battered Lanzarote, leaving homes and roads in the tourist hotspot flooded, and prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency throughout the Canary Islands.

Footage shows cars submerged on waterlogged roads, streams turned into dangerous rapids, and homeowners using buckets to bail water out of their houses after as much as 60 litres of rain fell in two hours on Saturday (12 April).

The towns of Costa Teguise and Arrecife were worst hit, according to the Island Emergency Consortium, with emergency services being called out to more than 200 incidents. However, authorities confirmed there were no reported injuries.

A state of emergency declared on Saturday was stood down by regional government early on Sunday morning.