The island of Lanzarote, part of the Canary Islands, experienced widespread flooding on Sunday after heavy rains earlier this week.
As a result of the weather, residential neighbourhoods and hundreds of cars were under water.
The state of emergency was declared on Saturday night when the island received a record rainfall of about six centimetres in just two hours in a short period of time, causing the water level to rise rapidly in populated areas. The state of emergency was lifted the very next morning as the situation stabilised.
Despite the extent of the flooding, authorities report that there have been no fatalities or injuries. Local services continue to rebuild infrastructure and provide assistance to residents.
Due to the characteristics of the volcanic soil, water in the Canary Islands quickly accumulates on the surface and is hardly absorbed, making the region vulnerable to such natural phenomena. Lanzarote remains a popular tourist destination and incidents like this can have repercussions for both the local community and the tourist season.
Last week, heavy rains caused the Ndjili River to overflow its banks, flooding the Congolese capital. At least 33 people died, homes were destroyed and access to drinking water was hampered.
