1.700 bolts of lighting bombard the Balearics

The Balearics was struck by 1.700 bolts of lightning during the storm which swept across the region in the early hours of yesterday morning. The storm also dumped 37.3 litres per square metre of rain on Lluc and caused widespread flooding and transport chaos. Minorca was also washed out with 27.4 litres of rain per square metre recorded at the airport. Flights at Palma airport were disrupted, 18 were cancelled in total because of the storm which also caused serious damage to the control tower at Barcelona airport. The Guardia Civil had to deal with a spate of traffic accidents in the early hours yesterday while firemen had to clear a number of roads which had been blocked by fallen trees. The worst of the accidents was in Andratx where a van over turned, sliding some 40 metres down the road. No serious injuries were reported however. We are still on storm alert today. The met office and the Civil Protection department warned last night that conditions today will be worse and the temperatures will drop by between 4 and 5ºC. Fierce storms and torrential rain, turning to hail at times, will sweep across the Balearics today, and winds will reach a maximum of around 40 kilometres per hour with waves of over three metres. Advice from the emergency services is to stay away from rivers and the mountains today, 30 litres per square metre of rainfall is forecast. Only drive if the journey is necessary and proceed with extreme precaution. While the torrential downpours will not last for long, they will be short and heavy throughout the day. Once the Balearics sees the back of the storm tonight, conditions are forecast to improve, bringing more traditional autumnal weather to the Balearics.