Storm Emilia brings disruption and soaking rain to Lanzarote

Residents and visitors across Lanzarote experienced a weekend of significant disruption as Storm Emilia swept across the island, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds, and rough seas.

The island’s authorities activated emergency plans ahead of the storm’s arrival, leading to the cancellation of all open-air activities from Friday evening. Events such as the opening of Arrecife’s Navilan Christmas Fair, and numerous sporting fixtures were called off as a precaution.

As predicted by AEMET, the storm arrived on Friday. It delivered its most intense conditions on Saturday 13th, under a series of yellow and orange weather alerts. The northern and central areas, including Los Valles and Haría, were initially worst-hit, while Saturday’s persistent downpours later hit other parts of the island. Yaiza, Uga, San Bartolomé and Tías received the highest rainfall totals, with over 60mm recorded at Yaiza’s football pitch.

The storm’s impact was widespread. Barrancos transformed into rushing torrents, winds of up to 70 kph buffeted higher ground, and phenomena including lightning, thunder and hailstones were observed. Emergency services responded to more than 50 incidents, though none were reported as serious. Access to coastal areas like Los Charcones was closed due to dangerous sea conditions, with waves reaching up to seven metres. Some ferry services were cancelled, although air travel operated with relative normality.

The poor weather extended into Sunday beyond initial forecasts, with AEMET extending yellow warnings for rain until 5pm. While the wind subsided, many parts of the island awoke to further rain and drizzle, complicating clean-up efforts.

The storm’s legacy included localised flooding and some road closures. The site of Arrecife’s Navilan Christmas Fair was heavily flooded, forcing its official opening to be postponed until Monday evening. However, as conditions improved Sunday afternoon, planned events such as Teguise’s famed Sunday market were able to proceed.