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By Humphrey Carter

PALMA
DON'T worry, as we reported last week, this summer is going to be hotter than usual but we are going to have to put up with some more rain first.
Majorca was shaken by violent thunder and blasted by lightning in the early hours of yesterday morning as torrential rain poured over the island for the second consecutive night.

People are talking of little else but the weather and wondering when the rains and storms are going to let up.
Conditions will remain unsettled for the next few days but on Friday, we should see the sun, albeit for a short time.
If you are making any ambitious plans for the weekend, having probably been forced to cancel them because of the rain last weekend, then keep a close eye on the weather because we are currently heading for another wet weekend.

The summer tourist season officially started at the beginning of the month, but June 1 is going to be marked by more rain, some of it heavy at times.
And, no longer are people saying the rain is good for the farmers.
Some of the island's crops have been severely damaged by the torrential rains (see over page).
However, looking on the positive side, the wettest month of May since records began has topped up Majorca's reservoirs and wells and there is little chance of a water shortage this summer.

Lluc, in the Sierra Tramuntana mountains in the north of the island, has been one of the wettest locations in Spain this month.
By yesterday morning, a total of 241 litres of rain had fallen per square metre in the area.
Nearly 170 litres per square metre have been recorded in Porreres and over 160 litres per square metre in Porto Pi, Palma, where the Balearic meteorological office has its headquarters.

Met. office director Agustin Jansa was yesterday forced to admit that, after yet another weekend of torrential rain, the situation is “unusual” for this time of year. While May, the bridge between Spring and Summer is often wet, the rains this month have been excessive.

Jansa also said that Majorca's two main reservoirs, Gorge Blau and Cuber, are 82 percent full and are holding slightly more water than at the end of May last year.

But, May has not been only marked by the heavy rains.
Both April and May have been unusually windy, in fact the winter has been in general and, while the sun may have its hat on the day after tomorrow, it will again be windy and feel rather cool.

The unusual climate has also caused a number of sea surges or meteotsunamis in the ports of Soller and Minorca.
Both areas are on full alert for sudden surges in sea level and on Monday, shipping between Majorca and Minorca was canceled for safety reasons.
In Soller, a pontoon was seriously damaged on Sunday night as the sea level suddenly dropped and then rose, as have a number of boats in both Soller and Minorca over the past two days with the meteotsunami alerts still active.