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The archipelagos of Macaronesia have similar physical features. They are islands with a large external dependence and an important weight of the tourism sector in their GDPs. Its volcanic origin and climatic features suppose several natural hazards. We identified those that can affect the tourist activity, identifying comparatively geological, geomorphological and meteorological phenomena. Wes how the differences bet ween the archipelagos with the Canary Islands as a highl y exploited space and the Azores with the mos tout standing disaster events [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal spaces exploited for tourism tend to be developed rapidly and with a desire to maximise profit, leading to diverse environmental problems, including flooding. As the origin of flood events is usually associated with intense precipitation episodes, this study considers the general rainfall characteristics of tourist resorts in two islands of the Canary Archipelago (Spain). Days of intense rainfall were determined using the 99th percentile (99p) of 8 daily precipitation data series. In addition, the weather types that generated these episodes were identified, the best-fitting distribution functions were determined to allow calculation of probable maximum daily precipitation for different return periods, and the territorial and economic consequences of flood events were analysed. The results show highly irregular rainfall, with 99p values ranging 50–80 mm. The weather types associated with 49 days of flooding events were predominantly cyclonic and hybrid cyclonic. The Log Pearson III distribution function best fitted the data series, with a strong likelihood in a 100-year return period of rainfall exceeding 100 mm in a 24 h period. However, values below 30 mm have already resulted in significant flood damage, while intense rainfall events in the period 1998–2016 saw over 11.5 million euros paid out in damages for insured goods. Such flood-induced damages were found to be caused more by inadequate urban planning than by rainfall intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]