Waterspout spotted in Mallorca on Tuesday; alert for heavy rain and storms

The warning will remain in effect until 6pm this afternoon

Image of the waterspout seen between Pina and Montuïri. | X David Esteban

TW
0

A waterspout was spotted on Tuesday at midday between Pina and Montuïri. The delegate and spokesperson for the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) in the Balearic Islands, María José Guerrero, clarified that it is very small. She also explained that it is the tail end of the storm affecting Mallorca and reminded that much of the island is under alert due to heavy rain and storms.

Specifically, the alert applies to the interior, south, and east of the island. The warning will remain in effect until 18:00 hours on 25 March, as up to 20 litres of rain per square metre may fall in just one hour. Additionally, the wind will be light, with a variable direction, tending towards a northern component.

The weather forecast for Mallorca on Wednesday, 26 March, indicates cloudy intervals with scattered, occasional showers and some storms, primarily in the eastern half of Mallorca until the afternoon. Temperatures will rise slightly. Meanwhile, the wind will be light to moderate, coming from the west and northwest.

On Thursday, 27 March, cloudy intervals are expected with occasional showers, mainly during the midday hours in the interior of Mallorca, clearing to mostly sunny skies in the afternoon. Temperatures will remain largely unchanged or the minimums will rise; the wind will be light to moderate, coming from the west.

It is worth remembering that on 10 March, storm Jana caused a waterspout in the Binissalem area. The delegate and spokesperson for Aemet in the Balearic Islands explained that a waterspout is a vortex of air and condensed water vapour, shaped like a cone or tube, from which it gets its name, that spins rapidly, hanging from a convective-type cloud but not reaching the ground. Waterspouts can form under cumuliform clouds if there is enough moisture and instability in the air.