The dramatic moment a British holidaymaker screams for help from the roof of a minibus trapped in floodwater in the storm-hit Canary Islands was caught on camera. The UK tourist climbed onto the top of the vehicle, believed to be carrying five tourists all from Britain, and yelled out: "Can someone get us help?"

In the emotional video filmed in Puerto de la Cruz, northern Tenerife, another Brit replies: "Just stay there, don't move". An Italian onlooker, meanwhile, tries to calm her down by assuring her that the police are on their way.

The emotionally-charged scenes unfolded overnight after the vehicle, carrying five tourists all believed to be from the UK, was forced to come to a standstill during a torrential downpour in Puerto de la Cruz in the north of Tenerife. The holidaymakers, fearing for their lives as the floodwater continued rising in the tunnel they were trapped in, began to exit the minibus via the sunroof with the first out waving her arms frantically as she cried: "Help, help."

The driver helped three of the occupants to reach safety, but two women passengers had to be rescued by firefighters who lowered a ladder from the bridge above them to the roof of the vehicle. One, sat surrounded by luggage which appeared to indicate they were on the way to the airport or had just arrived on the island, was clearly in tears and ended up vaping as she waited to be lifted to safety to calm her frayed nerves.

The drama happened around 9pm last night, around the same time a rare emergency weather warning alert about the imminent flooding risk was sent to the mobile phones of people living in the area. Miraculously all the tourists on board the minibus were unharmed. They were on a road near Puerto de la Cruz's famous Botanical Gardens, the second oldest of its type in Spain known for its major collections of tropical and sub-tropical plants.

The area where the emergency rescue took place is known locally as 'El Pulpo' which in English translates as 'The Octopus.'
The terrifying incident occurred after several days of extreme weather affecting the Canary Islands caused by Storm Therese.
The brutal storm has caused widespread devastating to the Atlantic archipelago, leaving dams bursting, roads collapsing, flights cancelled and residents stranded.

A specialist armed forces unit has been mobilised in islands like Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
Last night weather chiefs sounded a rare red alert warning for torrential rain in the Tenerife capital Santa Cruz, the nearby northern island municipalities of La Orotava and Los Realejos, and Puerto de La Cruz where the minibus drama affecting the British tourists occurred.

The alert came into force at 8pm local time last night and was due to remain active until midnight.
Spanish weather agency Aemet warned holidaymakers and locals to expect intense gusts of winds and poor visibilty as well as torrential rain.
Local town hall chiefs reacted by urging people to avoid unnecessary journeys.

Local media reported that Tenerife has been placed on maximum alert as Storm Therese takes a sudden turn, bringing intense rainfall and dangerous conditions across the island.

The measures came into force yesterday nigh (Tuesday, March 24), Canarian Weekly said, following updated forecasts warning of continued heavy rain. Authorities say the storm remains unpredictable, with persistent and locally intense downpours affecting large parts of the island, the newspaper also said.

Rainfall has already reached up to 80 litres per square metre in some metropolitan areas, far exceeding earlier expectations.