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THREE ships, two belonging to Acciona Trasmediterranea and one belonging to the Balearia, cancelled or delayed their departure from Balearic ports yesterday morning because of the strong north east winds which have lashed the islands since the early hours of the new year. During the early hours of yesterday winds of up to 91 kilometres per hour lashed Alfabia, 1'000 metres up in the Tramuntana mountains.
In Palma there were gusts of up to 69 kilometres per hour and 64 km/h in the port of Pollensa.
According to the Balearic Port Authority the fast ferry Almudaina, belonging to the company Acciona Trasmediterranea, which should have left the port of Palma at 8am yesterday bound for Ibiza, was forced to cancel her departure until the storm abated. And the catamaran Millenium II, also belonging to Acciona Trasmediterranea, which had been due to leave the port of Palma at the same time, bound for Barcelona, had delayed her departure until 12pm yesterday, at which time the company said they would review the weather situation to decide whether a further delay was necessary. At the same time the fast ferry Ramon Llull, belonging to Balearia, should have left the Port of Alcudia bound for Ciutadella (Minorca), but the bad weather and a fault on the ship had forced it to cancel its departure. It was thought the ship would leave last night, depending on the weather. According to the director of the Balearic Meteorological Centre, Agusti Jansa, this situation is not especially extraordinary. The Mistral wind reaches the Balearic islands sporadically during winter and the beginning of spring. He said yesterday that the north east wind would turn to a north wind and remain strong on Minorca and parts of Majorca with the probability of light showers, which could turn to snow at 1'100 metres.