A red weather alert has been issued for Tenerife and Palma on the Canary Islands, as a huge storm hits the region. The warning was issued at midnight on Thursday and is effective for 24 hours, with strong winds expected as Storm Nuria makes landfall. 

Authorities have ordered schools to remain closed, while tourists have been told to stay indoors and keep their windows shut. Spain's weather agency, AEMET, said strong west and southwesterly winds are set to sweep across the island, intensifying as the sun rises. 

Hurricane-force gusts of up to 80mph are expected across both Tenerife and La Palma, with higher altitude regions such as Teide National Park forecast to be particularly hard hit. 

The storm will also affect other islands in the Canaries, popular with British travellers.

These include El Hierro, La Gomera, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote, where winds are forecast to hit 60 mph.

Rough seas with swells reaching up to 16 feet are expected in the waters around La Palma, El Hierro and Fuerteventura.

The Canaries have been hit by extreme weather in the last few weeks, with a blanket of snow covering Mount Teide.

Torrential rain sparked flash floods in the region, with Telde on Gran Canaria one of the worst places affected.

Shocking footage has emerged from the island showing torrents of muddy water crashing through roads as cars spin out of control on the brink of submersion.

Radio Canaria released a clip showing a red car stuck in the front of a row of other abandoned vehicles as the rain pours down.

A woman is seen trapped in a car that appears on the brink of becoming submerged under water. 

She is saved by a passer-by, who wades through the rising flood water and succeeds in pulling her clear from the stricken vehicle.

It comes as a huge storm battered the Greek islands of Paros and Mykonos on Monday, causing widespread flooding.

Floodwaters surged through the streets of Parikia and Naousa on Paros, carrying cars and debris past whitewashed buildings.