Strong storms, floods and more than 150 incidents in the Balearic Islands

PalmaThe storm that arrived in the Balearic Islands this Wednesday has already left 154 incidents between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., the vast majority in Mallorca and related to fallen trees and flooding. Palma is, by far, the municipality that has concentrated the most incidents, with 51 alerts managed by the 112 emergency service.

The report from the 112 Emergency Coordination Center, provided by the Ministry of Presidency, Government Action Coordination and Local Cooperation, places the number of incidents recorded in Mallorca at more than 100. In addition to Palma, the municipalities that have accumulated the most alerts are Esporles, with 13; Manacor and Calvià, with 11 and 7; and Llucmajor with 6.

In Menorca, 6 incidents have been recorded, 3 in Maó, 2 in Ciutadella and 1 in Es Castell, while in Ibiza only 1 has been counted in Santa Eulària and 2 in Vila. There are, in addition, 14 events classified as unknown, because at the time of preparing the report their location could not yet be confirmed.

Fallen trees and floods, the main problems

The most common consequences of the storm have been fallen trees and flooding. Of the 154 interventions, 55 have been caused by fallen trees, while 38 have been related to water accumulation, both in buildings and establishments and on public roads.

The 112 has also recorded 12 interruptions to basic services, 10 detachments of urban elements, and 8 incidents involving obstacles or liquids on the road. Added to these reports are 5 risks of landslides, 3 broken traffic lights, and 2 risks of building flooding.

The episode was accompanied by intense electrical activity, especially from 1 p.m. onwards. The storm, coming from the Peninsula, entered through the Tramuntana mountain range and advanced across a large part of Mallorca, while it also affected, to a lesser extent, the northwest of Menorca.

47 l/m² in Llucmajor and almost 50 liters in some spots

The rain has been especially intense in various parts of Mallorca. Data recorded shortly after 4 p.m. placed Llucmajor in the lead, with 47 l/m², followed by Santa Maria, with 34, and Palma airport, with 30.

Significant amounts have also accumulated in Petra (29 l/m²), Port de Sóller (27), Son Bonet airport (25), Portopí (24), and the University of the Balearic Islands (22). These are provisional records and the rainfall episode was still active during the afternoon.

Aemet has warned that the storms could leave very intense rainfall, of up to 50 l/m² in one hour, accompanied by strong gusts of wind and, occasionally, hail.

Gusts of 109 km/h in Capdepera

The wind has also been one of the most prominent elements of the storm. The maximum gust recorded so far has been 109 km/h in Capdepera, while at the UIB, in Palma, 94 km/h have been reached.

Also notable were the 73 km/h in Port de Sóller, 69 km/h in Santa Maria, 68 in Llucmajor and 65 km/h in both Petra and Palma airport.

These strong gusts, combined with torrential rain, have caused numerous incidents on roads and in urban areas, with fallen trees, objects displaced by the wind, and water accumulation.

Damage to the UIB parking lot

One of the points where the storm has caused significant damage has been the University of the Balearic Islands. Strong gusts of wind and the accumulation of water on the parking lot roofs have caused major destruction.

Some of the panels flew off and others fell onto cars, which has caused numerous damages and left part of the area practically destroyed.

The UIB also figures among the points in Mallorca where the most significant rainfall has been recorded, with 22 l/m², and among the places with the strongest wind gusts, with 94 km/h.

More than 200 flights affected in Palma

Palma airport has recorded more than 200 delayed flights and 44 cancellations this Wednesday, on a day marked by heavy rain, storms, and wind gusts.

According to Aena's data, of the flights scheduled to depart from Son Sant Joan, 118 have suffered delays and 9 have been cancelled. Regarding arrival flights, at least 87 have accumulated delays and 35 have been cancelled.

The airports of Menorca and Ibiza have not recorded significant disruptions. The two flights cancelled on each island were connected to Mallorca.

At Son Sant Joan, data from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) indicate that up to 30 litres of rain per square metre have accumulated there and wind gusts of up to 65 kilometres per hour have been recorded.