Majorca hit by storms and torrential rain

POLLENSA and Alcudia bore the brunt of the storms and heavy rains which hit the island yesterday, much to the surprise of tourists who had been hoping to spend the day on the beach. However, damage was not as extensive as it had been in previous years.
Mayor Miquel Ferrer of Alcudia said that the reforms to the drainage system made over the past few years had paid off and there had been no major problems, “except for Calle Minerva, where there was a breakdown and water had to be pumped out.” The rain did cause traffic tailbacks on the Arta road, and the beaches were a sorry sight, with tourists seeking shelter in the bars and under the trees. The rain in Alcudia was exceptionally heavy between 10am and 2pm, and continued for the rest of the day.
In Inca, the heaviest rain fell between 7 and 7.30pm, at the rate of 22 litres per square metre, and other towns in the centre of the island, such as Sineu and Lloret, also suffered, although once again there was no major damage. There was some thunder and lightning, but the rain in the Inca area was not as heavy as last week, when hailstones fell.
In Pollensa, there were some problems in the port, Mayor Joan Cerdá said, adding that it hadn't rained as heavily as previous years when there had been serious flooding. Although there has been no major damage in the outlying towns and villages, the alert will continue for the next couple of days.
At Lluc in the mountains in Escorca, 12.6 litres of rain per square metre fell in just ten minutes. Rainfall between 2am and noon was 41.5 litres per square metre. Rainfall in Palma was 29.7 litres per square metre, and some hail fell, while most of the main streets were flooded, making it difficult for pedestrians to cross the road. The Palma and Council of Majorca fire brigade were called out on various occasions to pump out basements and clear up rock falls.
Calvia and its resorts, particularly Santa Ponsa, also felt the effects of the storm.
Traffic problems were reported all over the island, but the tailbacks were particularly on the Inca motorway, at the accesses to the Son Castello industrial estate in the direction of Palma, and the airport motorway, the Ring Road and Calle Joan Maragall leading to the Paseo Marítimo. The heaviest storms, however, were at sea in the channel which separates Majorca and Ibiza and to the west of Ibiza and Formentera.
Wind was around 50 kilometres per hour.
Maximum temperatures went down by 5ºC compared to Friday and the minimum temperatures were expected to go down again in the early hours of the morning. More rain can be expected today but it will not be as intense as yesterday.