With average temperatures in May five degrees higher than usual, yesterday's rain storms caught Palma's residents unawares. The weather forecast had predicted ‘isolated showers'. In fact the city was subject to hours of torrential rain.
The heavy downpours caused flash flooding and traffic chaos across Mallorca's capital. The thunder storm started at around midday. Isolated flooding caused problems at roundabouts and on the ring road underpass and the metro service was halted for half an hour between the main station in Placa Espana and Jacint Verdaguer, after a leak was detected in a ventilation shaft.
Sewerage systems also struggled to cope with the sheer quantity of water and homes, schools and shops were affected by flooding. In all over 300 calls relating to 70 separate incidents were received by emergency services.
