Hurricane force gusts batter Mallorca

Palma, with 116, was the most affected. Inca was another municipality that was badly affected. Some Palma flights had to be diverted for safety reasons.

The 112 emergencies service reported deployment of 30 fire and rescue personnel in Palma, 25 by fire and rescue centres in Alcudia, Inca and Llucmajor, ten Ibanat nature agency personnel in Inca and more than 40 Civil Protection volunteers in various parts of the island.

Hurricane-force gusts of more than 120 kilometres per hour started to hit the island in the afternoon, the met agency having issued an amber alert for high winds for the whole of Mallorca from 3pm.

Of events that had to be cancelled were the outdoor jazz concerts in Palma. The Alcudia-Binissalem football match was called off soon into the second half.

By 8pm, the strongest gust was 156 km/h at the Cape of Formentor. In the Tramuntana mountains there were gusts of 130 km/h; Campanet also 130, and Inca 120.