A 63-year-old man died and more than 200 000 people were left without power in several cities as Tropical Storm Delta unleashed torrential rain and strong winds on the Canary Islands, authorities said on Tuesday.
The rains and winds also affected hundreds of people who were left stranded at the islands’ main airports and left many cities and town in the islands without electricity and cellphone coverage.
TV footage showed how the stormy weather triggered mudslides and toppled walls and trees.
The man died in Fuerteventura, one of the islands in the Spanish archipelago, when he was trying to repair his roof, said Jose Miguel Ruano from the regional Canary government.
He said that about 265 000 people had been left without electricity during the night, including the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
On Monday, at least six would-be immigrants died when their boat with 50 people on board sank while trying to reach the Canary Islands from Africa. A total of 32 were rescued and 12 were reported missing.
Also, schools throughout the islands called off classes and sent children home as Delta approached.
The Canary Islands are one of Europe’s top tourist destinations, located off the coast of north-west Africa.
The storm, which is expected to weaken on Tuesday in the Spanish archipelago, is approaching north-western Africa, where it is expected to make landfall later in the day along the southern coast of Morocco.
Forecasters say that Delta is losing the characteristics of a tropical storm and becoming extratropical, which means it gets energy from the collision of warm and cold fronts, but it is not expected to lose strength until it hit land.
The six-month Atlantic hurricane season officially ends on Wednesday, but forecasters warn that tropical storms and hurricanes can develop in December. — Sapa-AP