Freak storm drenches Mallorca

Following a period of drought and water rations in June, the interior of the island of Mallorca has suddenly been drenched in a freak rainstorm, particularly in the Vilafranca de Bonany area, on Monday, July 7. All of Mallorca, and particularly the northeast of the island, is under a yellow alert for heavy rain. In Son Pou, 36.8 litres of rain per square metre were recorded, and in the centre of Vilafranca, 26.8 litres of rain per square metre.

State meteorological agency Aemet activated the yellow alert for Mallorca warning of intense and heavy rainfall, which also affected the tide, which rose waves up to 2-3 metres tall, and produced rough seas in which residents and holidaymakers were not advised to swim.

The rainstorm, which was somewhat unexpected, caught many residents by surprise, and especially drivers, as the rain was so thick that the visibility was dramatically reduced. Nevertheless, the rain brings much relief for the farmlands and towns, which have been baking under the European heat wave, and the intense heat has even caused wildfires in shrubbed areas of the island.

In spite of the rain, temperatures are still soaring across Mallorca, and citizens are doing what they can to stay cool in this scorcher of a summer.