storm
Record rainfall: severe flooding in Mallorca
Walkers with umbrellas are on the beach promenade in Palma. photo
© Clara Margais/dpa
Especially in the southwest of the holiday island, many streets, houses and garages were flooded after record rainfall. However, the situation has now improved again.
In the north of the island’s capital Palma, more than 100 liters of precipitation per square meter fell from the sky within 24 hours between Tuesday and Wednesday morning – 104 liters at the Balearic University and even 119 liters in Secar de la Real. It was said that such a large amount of rain had never been recorded at the two measuring stations since the recordings began.
According to their own information, the Balearic fire department had to go on numerous missions to empty cellars and garages. Among other things, people in distress had to be rescued from at least one vehicle. There was also a roof collapse, they said. Media reported significant traffic delays. Many torrents would have turned into raging rivers. As far as is known, no people were injured.
The situation on Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands also affected by the storms has now improved: the weather service Aemet lifted the level two (orange) storm warning on Wednesday afternoon. A level three (yellow) severe weather warning remained in effect in the north of the Catalonia region in northeastern Spain.