Tourist drowns after freak 12ft waves hit Tenerife resort

Up to 130 people and 60 houses were evacuated after the freak 12ft waves battered Puerto de la Cruz

Onlookers watch the high waves breaking at Candelaria, Tenerife (EPA)

A Czech tourist has died after freak 12ft waves devastated a British holiday hotspot and left the beachfront strewn with rubble.

The 53-year-old man drowned after falling into the sea at the northern resort of Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife, according to police.

Local reports claimed he was taking pictures by the sea edge when he was swept away. Horrified bystanders saw his body in the water and alerted emergency services.

In an 18-second clip of the aftermath shared by police, debris could be seen strewn across the seafront with broken tiles caused by the deluge.

Up to 130 people and 60 houses were evacuated after authorities warned of possible flooding due to stormy weather around the Atlantic.

A Czech tourist died after freak 12ft waves devastated a British holiday hotspot in Tenerife, Spain, on Wednesday (Police Handout)

The areas most affected on the island were El Rosario, Candelaria, Arafo Güímar and Arico. Tenerife’s most popular holiday resorts in the south managed to avoid damage.

The directorate general of emergencies of the Canary Islands government issued a statement urging people to take precautions, especially when close to the sea.

The warning was later lifted this morning. Weather experts said the combination of 56mph gusts caused the sea to rush over beaches and roads close to the coast.

In September 2023, at least three people died after record rainfall caused heavy flooding in central Spain, shutting roads, subway lines and high-speed train connections.

Debris could be seen strewn across the seafront with broken tiles caused by the deluge (Police handout)

Helicopters were sent to rescue people who had sought refuge on the roofs of their homes in the Toledo area some 31 miles southwest of Madrid.

One of the victims was a young man who was trapped in a lift that filled up with water, while another was inside a vehicle when it got flooded, police said.

The third person who died was a 50-year-old man who had been reported as missing. His body was found in the afternoon floating in a river near his home in the town of Camarena.