TWO Brit holiday hotspots have been rocked by an earthquake off the coast of the Canary Islands.
Thousands of tourists felt the tremor in Tenerife and Gran Canaria, which struck just after midday on Thursday.
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The Canary Islands are reeling after an earthquake struck two holiday hotspotsCredit: Alamy
Tenerife’s Mount Teide has experienced significant activity in recent weeksCredit: EPA
Scientists have urged holidaymakers not to panic, as the 4.1 magnitude quake is not connected to a spate of seismic activity registered on Tenerife’s Mount Teide.
Residents reported rooms vibrating and furniture shaking as a result of the earthquake, which struck at a depth of over six miles.
“In 1989, in this same area, an earthquake of 5.3 was recorded that was felt throughout the island of Tenerife,” said IGN volcanologist Rubén López.
López was also quick to dissociate the tremor with the seismic swarms of the last fortnight.
Spain’s National Geographic Institute confirmed the tremor hit in the area of the Enmedio Volcano, beneath the channel that separates Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
Because of its relatively shallow depth, the seismic jolt was widely felt, prompting a flood of reports from startled locals.
“It lasted about ten seconds and was more noticeable than ever, moving the whole house,” said one resident of Agaete in Gran Canaria.
“It went from less to more. At first it seemed like the closing of a door, but then the whole house moved.”
“I was lying in bed and I felt the mattress vibrate. I stared at it and felt a second vibration; it moved slightly, but only the mattress,” resident Débora Madrid, told El Dia.
“It was quite noticeable,” said Elba Diaz, from Tenerife’s capital Santa Cruz.
She added that the situation reminded her of another quake in 2021.
“I already lived through the tremors associated with the Tajogaite volcano, and this time, just like then, it made me feel dizzy.”
The National Geographic Institute has listed the towns where the earthquake was felt with varying intensities.
Tourists across the islands reported feeling the tremorCredit: Getty
Popular tourist haunts across the two islands felt the tremor, including Los Cristianos in Tenerife and Las Palmas on Gran Canaria.
No reports of material or personal damage have been made so far.
Scientists are coming together to discuss a contingency plan in relation to thousands of vibrations monitored under Mount Teide on Tenerife.
They say eruption is not imminent, but that all municipalities wanted to update their emergency plans, pointing to how Iceland briefs its residents on potential eruptions.
Tenerife’s government has said the island has a world-class monitoring system and that there is no cause for concern.
The island’s president, Rosa Davila, has said that they are “more prepared than ever” for an eruption.