Storm Therese batters Lanzarote and the Canary Islands as flight chaos and EES pressure make 2026 travel more stressful

Lanzarote, Canary Islands — March 23, 2026

What should have been another busy but manageable weekend for tourism in Lanzarote turned into a fresh warning for travellers as Storm Therese swept across the Canary Islands, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, rough seas, snow in higher parts of Tenerife and major disruption across the archipelago. While some national and international headlines have focused heavily on the dramatic images of snow on Mount Teide, the reality for many holidaymakers was far more serious: damaged property, flooding, dangerous coastal conditions, road disruption and significant airport chaos.

In Lanzarote, the storm may not have delivered the most shocking rainfall totals seen elsewhere in the islands, but it still hit the travel industry where it hurts most: airport operations, passenger confidence and holiday stress. Confirmed reports on Sunday, March 22 show that one flight was cancelled and eight flights bound for César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport were diverted as worsening weather conditions made operations difficult. Flights from Hamburg, Frankfurt and Rotterdam were diverted to Gran Canaria, while flights from London, Manchester and Newcastle were diverted to Fuerteventura.

That matters because Lanzarote sells certainty. It sells winter sun, a smooth arrival, a relaxed transfer and the promise that once you land, your holiday begins. Storm Therese shattered that promise for many passengers over the weekend. Aircraft were delayed, flight paths changed, arrivals were pushed elsewhere and the kind of uncertainty travellers hate most suddenly became very real. Even where planes eventually landed, many came in under difficult conditions. Mr TravelON’s own experience, circling for around 40 minutes before a hard landing that reportedly left onward passengers facing long delays, perfectly captures the anxiety many visitors felt as the weather closed in around the airport.

What actually happened in the Canary Islands?

Storm Therese did not just brush past the Canaries. It became a significant weather event across the archipelago, especially from March 20 to March 23, with authorities issuing alerts and pre-alerts for rain, wind, coastal conditions, flooding risk and landslides. The Government of the Canary Islands placed several western islands and Gran Canaria on alert while Lanzarote and Fuerteventura remained in pre-alert for parts of the event, including wind, rain and coastal risk. Official guidance urged the public to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from the coast and follow emergency instructions.

Across the islands, the storm caused evacuations, flooded homes, landslides, road closures and disrupted air traffic. In Tenerife and Gran Canaria, intense rainfall created dangerous local conditions, while in higher areas of Tenerife and La Palma, snow fell at altitude. That point is important, because much of the media coverage has leaned into the spectacle of “snow in Tenerife” without enough context. Snow on the summit zones around Teide is not unheard of and is very different from the misleading image some headlines create of beach tourists suddenly being caught in a blizzard. The real story is not beach snow. The real story is that Therese was a broad, disruptive Atlantic storm system that affected aviation, roads, safety planning and public confidence across the islands.

By Monday, March 23, Therese was still influencing conditions in parts of the archipelago. Reports said Lanzarote and La Graciosa were still facing wind, rain and rough sea conditions, with forecasts pointing to gusts of 70 to 90 km/h, heavy showers and waves of up to five metres in exposed areas.

Lanzarote airport chaos becomes another tourism image problem

For Lanzarote, the airport disruption is especially damaging because it feeds into a wider fear already growing among travellers: that flying to Europe is becoming more unpredictable, more bureaucratic and more stressful. One bad weather day can happen anywhere, but when passengers are already nervous about queues, border checks, delays and changing procedures, it does not take much for confidence to dip.

The weekend disruptions at Lanzarote came at exactly the wrong moment. Tourists are already talking more openly about airport stress, and every viral clip of diversions, missed connections, long waits or passengers stuck in terminals adds to that anxiety. That is why stories like this matter beyond a single day’s weather. Storm Therese was a meteorological event, yes, but it also became a communications event. Images of diverted flights and disrupted arrivals travel far faster than calm explanations ever do.

And that is where Mr TravelON’s point lands with real force: 2026 is testing travellers.

EES may promise efficiency, but many passengers only feel more pressure

One of the biggest travel stories of 2026 remains the EU Entry/Exit System (EES). The system started operations in late 2025 and is being phased in gradually through 2026. It applies to eligible non-EU travellers entering participating European countries and is designed to replace passport stamping with digital entry and exit records, including biometric checks.

On paper, the EU says the system will improve border security and increase efficiency. In practice, many travellers remain worried about what it means at busy tourist gateways, especially on islands where large numbers of flights can land within short time windows. That concern has already been part of the conversation in Lanzarote, where airport processing pressure has become a regular topic among holidaymakers, residents and tourism watchers alike.

Ironically, during weather disruption, one part of the journey can sometimes become easier simply because traffic flow changes. As Mr TravelON put it, one positive from this storm-hit journey was that it was “a breeze through the EES.” That may be true on a day when disrupted schedules thin out the pressure. But it also highlights the bigger issue: if the system feels easier only when flights are delayed, cancelled or diverted, that is hardly a reassuring message for peak travel days.

The bigger question for tourism: how much stress will travellers accept?

This is why Storm Therese matters beyond the weather map. The storm exposed how fragile the holiday experience can feel when several pressure points collide at once. First comes bad weather. Then come diversions. Then missed transfers, delayed departures, anxious arrivals and social media clips that amplify every problem. Add a new border regime like EES into that mix and the modern airport experience can begin to feel less like the start of a holiday and more like an endurance test.

For destinations like Lanzarote, perception is everything. The island remains one of Europe’s most popular sunshine escapes for good reason: climate, beaches, resorts, family appeal and year-round demand. But tourism officials and airport planners cannot ignore what travellers are saying. People do not just book sunshine anymore. They book ease. They book reassurance. They book simplicity. When travel feels overly complicated, the customer experience suffers long before they ever reach the hotel.

That is the debate now opening up in 2026. Is modern travel becoming unnecessarily stressful? Are airports, border systems and flight schedules being pushed too hard? And when things go wrong, are passengers being asked to absorb too much of the strain?

Storm headlines versus the truth on the ground

There is also a truth-travel point here worth making. Some coverage of the storm has clearly chased the most dramatic angle, especially the snow footage from Tenerife. But snow on Teide is not the same as snow at sea level, and it should not be framed as though beach holidays in the Canary Islands suddenly turned Arctic. The more accurate story is both less sensational and more important: a named storm brought dangerous weather, genuine local damage and very real transport disruption, especially in aviation.

That distinction matters because trust matters. Travellers want facts. They want context. They want to know whether this was a freak event, how bad it really was and whether their next trip is likely to be affected. The honest answer is that storms happen, snow in Tenerife’s high ground is normal enough under the right conditions, but the aviation disruption in Lanzarote on March 22 was real and significant for those caught up in it.

What happens next?

As of Monday, March 23, Therese was still influencing weather in parts of the islands, though forecasts suggested gradual improvement through the week. Authorities continued urging caution, especially around the coast and in areas vulnerable to heavy showers, strong winds and rough seas.

But the wider conversation will continue long after the skies clear.

Storm Therese has become another example of how quickly travel confidence can be shaken in 2026. For Lanzarote, the challenge is no longer just selling sunshine. It is defending the idea that the journey is still worth the hassle. And for many viewers of Mr TravelON, that is the real debate now: is travel being made more stressful by circumstance, by poor planning, or by design?

One thing is certain. Between storm chaos, disrupted flights and the growing pressure of EES-era border processing, 2026 is shaping up to be a year in which every part of the travel experience is under scrutiny.

About the author

Mr TravelON is the brand ambassador for TravelON and one of the most watched travel experts in the Canary Islands, with more than 400000 followers across YouTube, TikTok and Facebook. Mr TravelON has worked in tourism for over 25 years with tour operators, excursion suppliers and the local Canary Islands tourism board. He is on the ground in tourist destinations filming content, reviewing tours and talking with holidaymakers every day. His advice comes from real experience and direct contact with the island. As a Travel expert and editor he brings the most up to date travel news.