Majorca Tourists Scramble as Storms Cause Havoc on the Popular Spanish Isle
The serene atmosphere of Majorca, a favorite Spanish holiday destination, turned into a scene of chaos as violent storms caused mayhem, uprooting trees and inundating streets.
Videos emerging from the scene are reminiscent of disaster movies: gusty winds and torrential rains wreak havoc, with families rushing to safety as the tempest-tossed beach equipment around. According to The Sun, the storm’s fury began around 11 a.m.
In one of the more alarming incidents, winds clocking at 88km/h propelled a cruise ship, P&O Britannia, into an oil tanker. While the ship’s moorings broke under the strain, a few passengers sustained minor injuries. “Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight for assessment,” said a P&O representative, indicating the ship’s likely overnight stay.
Videos captured the distressing scenes. In one, a woman and her young child sought refuge behind a car as the storm unleashed its fury. Elsewhere, streets turned into rivers, palm trees barely held their ground, and flying debris became the norm.
In a particularly harrowing incident, a wind-torn sign injured a pregnant woman, necessitating her immediate hospitalization. Trees littered roads, causing transportation setbacks, while businesses suffered significant damage with their goods scattered across streets. A clip even showed a beach infrastructure thrown onto a hotel’s balconies by the ferocious wind.
Andratx is among the locales most impacted by the severe weather, with officials managing over 80 flooding instances in a single morning span. So far, 84 storm-related incidents have been recorded, as per the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
As amber alerts and severe weather warnings envelop Majorca and its neighboring islands – Ibiza, Menorca, and Formentera, the forecast looks bleak. Spain’s Aemet meteorological agency anticipates that the Tramuntana region, along with the island’s north and northeast, will bear the brunt.
The UK Met Office, cautioning its citizens, showcased Majorca’s tumultuous state, tweeting, “Severe thunderstorms are affecting the Balearic Islands, leading to heavy rain and strong gusty winds.” Moderate storm warnings will persist across the Balearic Islands into the next day.