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Gran Canaria calls for 'catastrophe' status in aftermath of fierce storms

Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones - [email protected]
Gran Canaria calls for 'catastrophe' status in aftermath of fierce storms
Photo: CabildoGranCanaria/Twitter

The popular holiday island is asking for catastrophe status to receive urgent help to fix areas damaged in recent torrential storms.

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The regional council of the Gran Canaria has called for the popular Canary Island to be declared a "catastrophe zone" after fierce storms battered the holiday destination causing flash floods and landslides which closed roads and schools.

It is asking for areas of the island that were particularly badly affected during the storms to be classed as catastrophe zones so that they can receive urgent help, the president of the island’s council, Antonio Morales announced on Saturday.

The island's council tweeted on Sunday that emergency services were currently "gathering information on damage caused" to present in Madrid.

The storms caused an estimated €800,000 of damage, including to essential water purification systems on the island.

Schools were closed across the Canary Islands on Friday as Spain’s national weather agency, Aemet, put the region on amber alert.

Tourists who were intending to enjoy the (usually) sunny weather on the Playa de Inglés in Gran Canaria were instead met with an unusual sight just off the beach.

A waterspout, an intense columnar cortex connecting storm clouds to water, was spotted for several minutes just meters away from the beach.

Videos of the 'tornado' - as some referred to it - were shared on social media.

 

 

 

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