Get you up to speed: Tenerife declares emergency response as Storm Therese disrupts tourism
Tourists in Tenerife have faced disruptions as Storm Therese brought snow and ice to the island, resulting in closed roads and cancelled flights. The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) issued an orange alert for the Canary Islands due to the risk of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds.
The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has issued an orange alert for the Canary Islands due to a high risk of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds, while the president of Tenerife, Rosa Davila, announced that the island’s emergency response system has been activated to address the severe weather conditions. Sabi Phagura, a travel journalist, reported that her planned visit to the 75th anniversary of the Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey hotel was cancelled due to the adverse weather.
The president of Tenerife, Rosa Davila, announced that “the island emergency response system is put into operation to prepare for an episode of adverse weather that will affect Tenerife over the coming days,” with the rough weather expected to last until early next week. Canary Islands are currently under a weather alert due to ongoing heavy rain and winds.
‘I’m in storm-hit Tenerife – there are 6ft waves and rocks falling off mountains’ | News World
Tourists in Tenerife have had to wade through snow and ice after Storm Therese landed on the island.
The visitor hotspot looked more like Iceland after Storm Therese brought a blanket of snow and ice to the island which sits just 60 miles off the coast of Africa.
Canary Islands are under a weather alert after days of non-stop rainfall and winds sweeping over the Spanish archipelago.
Holidays on the island have been disrupted as dozens of flights have been axed during the week due to high winds reaching up to 75mph while events have been cancelled.
Roads have been closed in Tenerife and flights cancelled after snow, ice and heavy winds (Picture: Tenerife Island Council)
The majority of flights scheduled to depart from Tenerife South Airport yesterday left late, according to plane tracking website Flightradar24.
Roads have been shut as a precaution after snow and rainfall led to treacherous conditions.
Sabi Phagura, a travel journalist from the UK, arrived in Tenerife on Wednesday and into the eye of the storm.
She told WTX: ‘It was a bumpy ride from Gatwick. I was oblivious to the storm until as soon as I landed people were messaging me asking if I was okay.
Ice-crusted road barriers in Tenerife after Storm Therese (Picture: Tenerife Island Council)
‘It was lashing with rain overnight. When I looked out the palm trees were bend 60 degrees, almost 90 degrees in the wind.
‘I came here for the 75th birthday of the Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey hotel, but that had to be cancelled.
‘Roads were closed in some parts of the island, there were 6ft waves and rocks falling off mountains.’
Sabi is in Santa Cruz on the northeastern coast of Tenerife, where the weather appears to have calmed down since earlier in the week (Picture: Sabi Phagura)
Footage from the popular visitor attraction, the Teide National Park, showed a snow-covered mountain peak.
Some hikers braved the chilly conditions despite a warning that peaks above 5,900 feet would see significant snowfall.
The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has issued an orange alert, meaning high risk of heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty wind on the Canaries and the south coast of Spain in Andalusia.
The president of Tenerife, Rosa Davila, said yesterday: ‘Starting today at 3pm, the island emergency response system is put into operation to prepare for an episode of adverse weather that will affect Tenerife over the coming days.’
The rough weather front is expected to last until early next week.
Last month, southern Spain and Portugal were left devastated by Storm Leonardo after heavy rain, flooding and landslides.
Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes in the wake of the storm, which brought ‘exceptional’ amounts of rain in just 24 hours.
At least two people died, including a woman who was swept into a swollen river while trying to rescue her dog.
Will Storm Therese come to the UK?
While the storm continues to wreak havoc in the Canaries, the forecast in the UK looks rosy with dry weather and sunshine.
The Met Office said high pressure will dominate over the weekend in most of England and Wales, where temperatures will hover between 14 and 16°C.
Scotland and Northern Ireland are likely to see more cloud and some rainfall.
What are my rights if my flight has been cancelled?
In the UK and EU, airlines must look after you if your flight is delayed or cancelled. This includes everything from meals and accommodation to an alternative flight if necessary.
Citizen’s Advice says that airlines should also give impacted passengers access to phone calls and emails, and, if they offer you a place to stay, organise the journeys between the hotel and the airport.
Sometimes, the airline will cover this by handing you vouchers at the airport. When in doubt, keep any receipts for expenses and claim them back afterwards from the airline.
But an airline will only cough up money for ‘reasonable’ expenses.
If you didn’t book with a UK or EU airline, you’ll need to check their terms and conditions. However, for the most part, airlines should provide meals and accommodation as appropriate.
When am I eligible for this support?
Whether you’re eligible for the above depends on the distance of your flight and how long you have waited:
For short-haul (up to 1,500km over two hours or less), you must have been waiting for two hours or more.
For medium-haul (between 1,500km and 3,500km over two to four hours), it’s three hours or more.
For long-haul (more than 3,500km over four hours or more), it’s four hours or more.
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