
In summer they attract thousands of Brits - but the Canary Islands have been lashed by gales which uprooted road signs and caused travel chaos.

Usually tranquil beaches in Tenerife were emptied as 30ft waves crashed over the shore, while schools in Lanzarote were ordered to shut as the weather closed in on Friday.

Dozens of flights were cancelled and severely delayed on Friday, and again yesterday - when a piece of ceiling fell in at Tenerife's main airport, leading police to close the terminal to the public.

Five of the seven islands were on red alert - the highest possible - for high winds on Friday night, which was later reduced to a yellow alert or none at all for today.

One man man died after a sheet of metal was carried through the air by the strong winds and hit him in the face, according to the Spanish national newspaper El Mundo.

The 53-year-old was hit in the freak accident at 9.30pm on Friday in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, and died in hospital yesterday despite the efforts of surgeons and medical staff.

Red alert: The Canary Islands were battered by freak storms this week, including yesterday on the island of Tenerife (pictured)

Crashing: Waves crashing on the shore in Tenerife. The storms claimed the life of one man who was hit in the face with a piece of sheet metal

Look out! Beaches which normally attract thousands of British holidaymakers on Tenerife were no-go zones yesterday

Five of the seven islands were on red alert - the highest possible - for high winds on Friday night, which was later reduced to a yellow alert

Delays: Some flights had to be rerouted, delayed or cancelled from the islands' main airport and ferry services were also called off

Police tape: Part of the main airport in Tenerife was sealed off yesterday when a piece of ceiling fell in due to the strong winds