Storm Betty Unleashes Her Might On Mallorca

Within a mere hour, the tranquil landscapes of Mallorca were dramatically disrupted by the fierce impact of storm “Betty” on Sunday, August 27.

Betty, an exceptionally intense storm, swept its way across the island, unleashing its force from the southern to the northern regions, accompanied by hurricane-force winds clocking in at a staggering 122 kilometres per hour.

As the afternoon progressed, the number of reports grew, with 112 receiving reports of nearly three hundred incidents.

The coastal municipalities along the Bay of Palma found themselves at the epi-centre of the storm’s fury.

Amidst the chaos, six tourists suffered injuries as the windows of the Maritime Station buckled under the storm’s might.

In another unfortunate instance, a pregnant woman sustained leg cuts when a billboard succumbed to the winds in Calvià.

The commotion was not confined to land. A cruise ship, extending over 300 metres in length, tore free from its moorings in the port of Palma, precisely during a firefighting exercise.

Driven by the unrelenting forces of Betty, the ship drifted across the port, eventually colliding with the stern of a tanker moored at the opposite end.

In a parallel incident, a ferry from Valencia in the port of Ibiza found itself with a hole in its side upon colliding with the dock.

The storm’s wrath extended inland, with hundreds of trees and branches plummeting to the ground, leaving a trail of extensive damage to parked vehicles in their wake. Amidst the relentless onslaught, numerous roads became blocked due to fallen trees.

Más imágenes del.temporal que azotó ayer a Mallorca. Esta vez Andratx pic.twitter.com/vSbHOXZJzH

— José Navío Del Castillo (@JoseNavio77) August 28, 2023

Betty’s grasp extended to the waters, as rescue teams were dispatched to assist a kayaker and then two children who had been propelled onto rocky shores on a large mat, reported Ultima Hora.

In Felanitx, the bullring bore the brunt of the gale’s ferocity, resulting in significant damage, while a prepared festival stage was reduced to debris.

Throughout the morning, the frontlines of emergency teams were besieged by one incident after another, testifying to the sheer scale of the turmoil that storm Betty had wrought.