Is it safe to travel to Lanzarote? Flash floods cause chaos on Canary Island
Are holidays to Lanzarote still being cancelled? What is the weather forecast on the Canary Island now? And are any of the other Islands affected? Here's the latest on the extreme Easter weather after Storm Olivier.
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Lanzarote was battered with extreme weather last week which included heavy rain downpours and flash flooding across the popular holiday island for British tourists.
With travel companies like TUI and Jet2 cancelling holidays due to lack of alternative accommodation, many British holidaymakers were faced with their Easter plans cancelled due to Storm Olivier.
So is it currently safe to travel to Lanzarote? With the latest weather forecast looking more promising, many want to know if they need to cancel their holidays and whether the neighbouring islands like Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria will also be affected by the floods.
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Here's everything you need to know about the latest advice for travelling to Lanzarote and what your rights are.
Is it safe to travel to Lanzarote?
On April 12th, Lanzarote saw some huge heavy downpours hit the island, leaving travel hotspots like Costa Teguise flooded. Hotels, roads and homes were all covered in water as the flash floods devastated local towns and businesses too.
Now, days on, the damage and flooding is still a huge issue on the Canary Island, however, the Foreign Office has not issued a warning against travel.
Some holiday companies are doing what they can to relocate holidaymakers if their hotel has been impacted but this has inevitably led to cancelled holidays in recent days.
While travel and holiday plans are likely to be disrupted still at this point, it has not been deemed unsafe.
Lanzarote airport is now operating as normal and no official government body has advised against travel.
Should I cancel my holiday to Lanzarote?
As it stands, it's not advised you cancel your holiday as the circumstances mean it's unlikely you'd get a full refund for your trip.
As there has not been an official warning against travel to Lanzarote, there would be no exceptional circumstances to get your money back on a trip you cancel.
The UK government's Foreign Office's latest advice on holidays to Lanzarote is: "Heavy rainfall and flooding in Lanzarote occurred over the weekend. Journeys may be affected. If you are in Lanzarote or travelling to Lanzarote, follow the advice of the local authorities and monitor local weather updates.”
The Canary Island's government has added: "Following the end of the flooding caused by rain on April 12 in the municipalities of Arrecife, Teguise, and San Bartolomé on the island of Lanzarote, the island emergency situation has ended."
If you are thinking of cancelling, it's best to check with your holiday provider on your rights and what kind of refund or alternative you can get.
What is the latest weather forecast for Lanzarote?
Following the week of uncertain weather, Lanzarote's weather outlook is looking much more positive.
According to the Met Office, Lanzarote can expect plenty of sunshine over the next seven days with temperature highs of 24 degrees.
Is it okay to travel to Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura?
The other Canary Islands seem to have been spared from the devastating Storm Olivier that took over Lanzarote.
Some light spells of rain are expected on the islands but that's nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year.