A severe storm in the Spanish Mediterranean brings air traffic in Mallorca to a standstill.
By Wednesday afternoon, 44 flights had been cancelled at Palma de Mallorca airport due to weather conditions, the relevant authorities on the Spanish holiday island said.
According to the authorities, 23 arrivals and 21 departures were affected. Almost all other connections suffered significant delays. However, the worst of the storm was still to come.
“The night worries me the most,” the head of the emergency call center, Toni Plata, told journalists.
The low pressure area brought heavy rain showers, thunderstorms, hail and squalls to Mallorca and other Spanish Mediterranean areas.
The fire brigade had to be called out again and again to clear away fallen trees or pump water out of flooded cellars.
No major damage was initially reported either on Mallorca or elsewhere in Spain.
The second highest alert level, orange, of the national weather service AEMET applied on Wednesday to the Balearic Islands as well as parts of the regions of Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia and Catalonia.
Authorities have issued a red warning for northeast Mallorca for Thursday, valid from midnight to 3 p.m. (1300 GMT). Up to 180 milliliters of rainfall are expected within a few hours.
After that, the storms should gradually subside. However, air traffic in Mallorca is likely to be affected until Friday.
Red alert is rarely declared in Mallorca. However, changeable weather is often forecast in mid-August, when the otherwise rather consistent summer weather on the island ends. Beach days are then often interrupted by occasional heavy thunderstorms.
