19/02/2003 00:00
TW
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WINTER was back with a vengeance yesterday, with energy consumption hitting an all-time high as people tried to keep warm. The heavy rain and snow which hit a large part of the island led to various roads being closed to traffic and flooding was reported in low lying areas. The heaviest rain fell in the north and east of the island, with as much as 116 litres per square metre recorded in Artà. The firemen answered more than 20 calls to pump out water from flooded basements and remove trees and stones from the roads. In many areas, the water courses flooded, particularly in Capdepera, where several cars were swept away. The Caimari-Lluc, Soller-Lluc and Bunyola-Orient roads were closed because of snow and the Artà-Capdepera road because of flooding. The bad weather is expected to continue today, according to local weather man Agustí Jansà, and further heavy rain can be expected on Thursday. Temperatures should start to rise slightly. Jansà said that he expected the weather to improve towards the weekend, although Saturday was still uncertain. It was also cold in the rest of Europe, with London recording a maximum of 5ºC and minimum of -1º. In Paris, the maximum was 3ºC and minimum was -4ºC; in Vienna the maximum was -1ºC and the minimum -11ºC and Rome, maximum 8ºC and minimum -1ºC.