Will bad weather and airline troubles affect my Canaries break?

Travel Q&A

Tenerife

Q. We travel to Tenerife on Friday, and we are a bit worried about the weather problems there. Also, we are booked on Monarch, but we read at the weekend that things aren't looking too good for them. Any advice much appreciated.

Amanda Ilett, Henley

A. Flash floods brought havoc to parts of Tenerife on Sunday night. Local media suggest that five people died on the largest of the Canary Islands and on neighbouring La Gomera. Repairs began on Monday, but restoring power is likely to take some time. However, it is unlikely that the vast majority of British visitors will be affected. The main problems were in the north-east of the island and in and around the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The geography of the city makes it particularly susceptible to heavy rain. The main airport for the north of the island, Los Rodeos, was closed for a time, but all flights from the UK now use Reina Sofia – known as Tenerife South.

Monarch is one of the leading airlines to Tenerife from the UK, and has an excellent reputation, though it has struggled to compete in recent years with bigger rivals, such as easyJet and Ryanair. It is currently owned by the Mantegazza family, but a sale to Greybull Capital is in progress, and is expected to be concluded on Friday, the day that you travel. Monarch has told The Independent that there is no reason to suppose that the deal will not go ahead.