Ibiza and Formentera return to normal after overcoming the rain and storms

PalmIbiza and Formentera returned to normal this Friday after overcoming the intense period of rain and storms of the last few hours without serious consequences. Therefore, classes resumed this Friday in all schools on both islands. This decision was made at the meeting of the Meteobal Plan Technical Advisory Committee on Thursday afternoon, after discussing it with the Education officials who were present.

The rains forecast for Ibiza and Formentera this Thursday finally began at 2:00 p.m. The State Meteorological Agency maintained the orange warning until 8:00 p.m., during which time significant amounts of precipitation accumulated. After the most intense period of rain, the Aemet (Meteorological Agency) maintained the yellow warning (30 liters per square meter) in the Pitiusas until 6:00 a.m. on Friday. The most intense storm to pass through Ibiza has now moved out to sea, and the forecast is for the intensity to diminish.

These rainfalls have generated a total of 12 incidents registered at the 112 Emergency Coordination Center: ten in Ibiza and two in Formentera. These isolated incidents have been resolved by local means, and only four remain active. The causes have been flooding of public roads (7), flooding in buildings (2), road closures, a liquid obstacle on the roadway, and the risk of a torrent overflowing.

The persistent rain has led to the recording of up to 100-120 l/m² in two or three hours, which has led to accumulations and ponding of water in areas that traditionally flood. In Ibiza, sections of the airport road (EI-800) have been affected and have had to be closed intermittently with traffic diversions along the upper roads. In any case, traffic has been restored, although caution is advised when driving there, especially if the rain continues.

In the Playa d'en Bossa area, near Avenida de la Gamba Roja, maximums of between 20 and 30 cm of water have accumulated, which has not caused major damage to hotels, as they had taken preventive measures to prevent water from entering. Also in areas such as Cas Capità, Pratet, and Puerto de Ibiza, where the water has drained slowly, no damage has been reported, as residents and shopkeepers had prepared their homes, access to garages, and businesses.

Reduced mobility

In Ibiza, there have been two peaks of precipitation: one at 2:00 p.m., coinciding with the school year ending, and another at 5:00 p.m., coinciding with the school year ending and the start of extracurricular activities. The closure of schools, which has reduced mobility, has helped reduce the number of incidents reported.

In Formentera, high-intensity storms and heavy rainfall have also been recorded for an hour, with occasional accumulations of up to 30 cm of water, but neither roads nor public transport have been affected. The main road has experienced accumulations of water, and a street in the La Savina area has had to be closed due to minor flooding.

Despite the significant magnitude of this new chapter of rain and storms in the Pitiusas, the number of incidents has been modest. The probable cause is the measures taken, such as the closure of schools, which has reduced travel and traffic. The fact that the population has heeded the warnings and taken self-protection measures has also contributed.

Exemplary behavior

"We must send a message of gratitude to the population who have heeded the recommendations and restricted mobility as much as possible. There have been so few incidents not because the phenomenon has not affected Ibiza and Formentera, but because the behavior of citizens has been exemplary," explained the Director General of Emergencies and the Interior, Pablo Gárriz.

For this Friday, the storm is expected to move south, not east. Hence, the Aemet (Mexican Meteorological Agency) has activated red alerts in the province of Alicante (Valencia) and in the region of Murcia. However, as of 6:00 a.m., Aemet has deactivated all alerts in the Balearic Islands, but only for a few hours, because, as predicted, the passage of this storm through the Balearic Islands will be slow. For this reason, the Aemet (Mexico City Meteorological Agency) has already activated a new orange warning for rain and storms in Ibiza for Saturday, and a yellow warning for Mallorca and Menorca, with the forecast that the storm will move towards the eastern Mediterranean.

The Technical Advisory Committee (CTA), meeting this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. for the third time, has agreed to maintain the orange alert (IG-1) in Ibiza and Formentera on Friday as well. The CTA will also continue to meet to further assess the situation and take the necessary measures.