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.
