01/03/2005 00:00
TW
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Staff Reporter SEVERE weather warnings of snow, ice, winds and freezing temperatures in thirteen Spanish regions, including the Balearic Islands have been issued by the Civil Protection and Emergencies agencies.

The Balearic Islands will be hit with more snow, as will seven other regions: Galicia, Castilla-León, Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha, Valencia, Murcia and western Andalucia.

Strong winds will also affect the Balearic Islands and will produce 2-4 metre waves in the sea.
Freezing temperatures will affect five Spanish regions, Navarre, La Rioja, Aragón, Catalonia and Madrid, as well as the Balearics.
The freezing temperatures will reach -10 degrees and will not be warmer than 0 degrees in some areas in central Spain, while in the Pryenees temperatures could fall to as low as -20 degrees.

In the Balearic Islands the temperatures will not fall below 0 degrees and will be 3-6 degrees during the next few days, said the Met Office.
Ice will also be found in coastal regions, including the Balearic Islands.
Furthermore, snow will even affect sea level regions in the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, and as the temperatures will be so low the snow will turn into ice, making the roads on the islands dangerous.

As a result, the Civil Protection and Traffic Units have issued a list of useful weather advice, which includes the recommendation to avoid driving in snow and ice in affected regions when it is not strictly necessary.

It is forecasted that a new Atlantic front will arrive in the Balearics tomorrow and this is expected to make temperatures rise and be more in line with the winter weather that residents are accustomed to.

This cold weather front has also affected some of the maritime services between Minorca and Majorca. Some of the crossings have had to be cancelled.
The Ciudadella port has been closed for safety reasons and the fishing fleets in Mahon and Fornells have remained docked in port.
Currently the Balearia ferry company has suspended services between Ciudadela and Alcudia and hopes to resume services later this month.
The regular maritime services between Cala Rajada and Ciudadela by the Cape Balear ferry has been cancelled. Yesterday Trasmediterránea stopped its crossing from Barcelona and Mahon.

Four flights that connect Palma with Barcelona had to be cancelled yesterday because of the freezing weather and snow that affected El Prat Airport. There were delays of an average of two hours in another nine flights between these two airports, said a spokesperson from the Airport Authority.