British tourists stranded on top of a minibus after ‘storm of century’ hits Canary Islands

British tourists have cried for help after flooding hit the Canary Islands during ‘the storm of the century’.

Footage shows five people climbing onto the roof of a minibus as someone yells out ‘can someone get us help’, after torrential rain from Storm Therese covered Puerto de la Cruz in the north of Tenerife.

The group were trapped in a tunnel and tried to escape the minibus via the sunroof as the waters continued to rise.

A driver helped three of the occupants to reach safety, but two passengers had to be rescued by firefighters who lowered a ladder from the bridge above them to the roof of the vehicle.

A rare emergency red weather alert was sent to mobile phones as Storm Therese has cut residents and tourists off.

Footage shows five people climbing onto the roof of a minibus as someone yells out ‘can someone get us help’ (Picture: SOLARPIX.COM) Two passengers had to be rescued by firefighters (Picture: SOLARPIX.COM)

Dams have reportedly burst, roads have collapsed and flights have been cancelled.

Officials in San Bartolome de Tirajana have requested help from the Military Emergency Unit

More than 3,000 people have been evacuated or stranded across Gran Canaria alone, with evacuees staying in temporary shelters inside secondary schools.

Storm Therese has already been dubbed as the ‘storm of the century’ by locals, and those in the area have been warned not to make unnecessary journeys.

Storm Therese leaves collapsed roads and stranded people in Gran Canaria (Picture: Reuters) A rare red emergency weather alert has been issued

Flights from London, Manchester and Newcastle have all been diverted away as 73 mph winds were recorded on Monday night.

One hotel roof has also reportedly collapsed while guests were urged to shelter inside.

Those in Lanzarote have been encouraged to stockpile essentials as conditions deteriorate.

The hamlet Arteara faces being cut off entirely, as it sits at the base of the Fataga ravine and relies on crossing the gorge for access.

But if waters continue to rise, the route will become impassable.

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