Severe Weather in Mallorca: Devastation Caused by
Hurricane Force Gusts and Heavy Rain
Monday,
August 28th, 2023
A powerful
storm, accompanied by unexpected hurricane force gusts, intense heavy rain,
hail, and thunderstorms, struck the island of Mallorca on Sunday, 27.8.2023. It
caused significant damage and resulted in minor injuries to several
individuals. Around 11 AM, a strong wind suddenly swept over Mallorca, catching
many residents and tourists off guard, despite the State Meteorological Agency
(Aemet) having issued warnings about the phenomenon for several days.
Emergency
services, including firefighters and police officers, were on duty around the
clock to mitigate the damage and offer assistance. Numerous trees were
uprooted, falling debris and toppled trees inflicted substantial damage on
several vehicles. Several roads were at times impassable due to the
destruction.
While red
flags were hoisted on all of Mallorca’s beaches, the Balearic Port Authority
urged boats, ferries, and yachts at sea to enter nearby harbours, to seek
refuge from the severe weather conditions.
In Palma’s
harbour basin, the fierce wind led to a collision between a 330-meter-long
cruise ship and a tanker, as the cruise ship’s moorings snapped. Fortunately,
no fuel spill occurred, and there were no injuries reported.
Palma
Airport was heavily impacted, with hurricane-force gusts reaching a record wind
speed of 108 km/h. This resulted in long delays and numerous flight
cancellations. Flight operations over Mallorca had to be temporarily suspended,
leading to diverted inbound flights and significant delays for departures and
arrivals.
While some
disruptions are still noticeable on Monday morning, air traffic at Palma
Airport is gradually returning to normal.
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