Palma Airport has been dropped at a standstill by a large rain storm that has flooded the island of Majorca.
Airport officers mentioned this night 100 of the ‘greater than 900 flights’ scheduled to function at present at Palma airport, together with many from British journey hubs like Gatwick, Luton and Bristol, had been affected by the storm.
And pictures from inside Palma Airport reveal the extent of the rising chaos inside.
One video confirmed rainwater flooding one of many airport’s runways, with a member of employees jokingly diving into the water to indicate how deep it was.
One other confirmed the ceiling above the responsibility free outlets within the airport severely leaking water.
The extreme climate has hampered a vacation of Race Throughout the World winner Alfie Watts, who took to his Instagram to complain.
He mentioned on his Instagram Story: ‘Flew from Luton to Palma, just for the airport to be flooded (and the terminal too)
Queues contained in the airport grew longer and longer, as departures and arrivals had been massively delayed
The airport’s carpark was flooded by the rainwater
One video confirmed rainwater flooding one of many airport’s runways, with a member of employees jokingly diving into the water to indicate how deep it was
Water is seen gushing down the streets of Murcia on Monday because the south-eastern area of Spain was hit by torrential rain
‘Diverted to Mahon to attend, seems we virtually actually will not be heading onwards and can actually [be] rediverting to…. Luton!
‘What an unbelievable [sic] enjoyable day on the planet of WizzAir UK.’
Delays and cancellations to departures and arrivals to Palma Airport, which noticed 31million passengers cross by way of its doorways in 2023, have been confirmed till at the very least 9pm tonight.
Some passenger planes had been in a position to land earlier than the suspension however passengers left trapped inside on the runway. Quite a lot of flights had been diverted.
A spokesperson for Aena mentioned round 8.30pm native time: ‘Of the greater than 900 flights programmed for at present, 100 have been affected by the use of diversions or cancellations.
‘The airport operation was suspended for round two hours, from simply after 3pm to round 5.30pm.
‘Throughout that timeframe no flight left or landed at Palma de Mallorca airport.’
The extreme climate has hampered a vacation of Race Throughout the World winner Alfie Watts, who took to his Instagram to complain
The ceiling above the responsibility free outlets within the airport severely leaked water
Delays and cancellations to departures and arrivals to Palma Airport, which noticed 31million passengers cross by way of its doorways in 2023, have been confirmed till at the very least 9pm tonight
She added: ‘The scenario now could be certainly one of normality though there are generalised delays. The sky is evident as soon as once more and it seems it is not going to rain once more.
‘It is nonetheless too early to say if and the way a lot harm contained in the airport the flooding has brought on.’
A spokesman for Spanish airport operator AENA mentioned this afternoon simply earlier than 6pm native time: ‘Palma de Mallorca airport has reactivated its operations after the passing of the storm.
‘The primary take-offs and landings have occurred and the flights that had been diverted are anticipated to land on the airport through the afternoon.
‘We are going to proceed engaged on normalising the operation.
‘AENA recommends passengers seek the advice of with their airways earlier than heading to the airport.’
In a press release earlier within the afternoon AENA mentioned: ‘Palma de Mallorca Airport has quickly suspended operations following the impression of a robust storm, because of the impossibility of working safely.
Chaos at Palma Airport because of the flooding of a number of terminals and automotive parks on account of the heavy rainstorm this afternoon
Most of the affected flights got here from British journey hubs together with Gatwick, Bristol and Luton
The ground of the airport was coated in water from the storm
Not less than 100 flights have been cancelled or delayed by the storm
‘In line with the climate company Aemet, 45 litres of rain fell in a single hour, with peaks of as much as 90 litres, inflicting flooding each at among the entrances to the airport and within the terminal constructing.
‘The airport has activated the emergency plan for flooding and is working as shortly as potential to re-establish normality on the airport.’
A lot of the Balearics and the Levante space, common vacationer areas that sit on the east of Spain, have been hit with torrential rain that has wrought devastation.
Photos from Costa Blanca confirmed submerged streets, overflowing rivers, and fast-moving water barrelling throughout dry fields earlier than crashing onto highways.
Hail stones have fallen in some components of the Valencian neighborhood, which incorporates the provinces of Alicante and Valencia, with extra predicted at present, whereas Benidorm is on a yellow storm alert with the potential for rain put at 100 per cent.
Additional south in Murcia roads have been became raging torrents. In its capital metropolis locals and vacationers had been pictured ankle-deep in water in its principal avenue as they tried to barter their well past outlets whereas others took refuge inside.
Elsewhere within the province automobiles had been seen and wheelie bins had been seen ‘swimming’ down streets which seemed extra like rivers. Firefighters had been mentioned to be ‘working tirelessly’ with roads closed in some locations.
A number of areas throughout south-east Spain ‘s have been hit with torrential rain, hail and robust winds inflicting flash floods and forcing the closure of roads. Pictured: A automotive is seen half submerged in waters within the metropolis of Murcia
Photos from Costa Blanca confirmed submerged streets (pictured), overflowing rivers, and fast-moving water barrelling throughout dry fields earlier than crashing onto highways
Water is seen flowing down a avenue in Murcia on Monday amid the rainstorms
Native media reported that emergency response officers had clocked over 320 incidents referring to the climate as of Monday evening.
The area most affected has been Spain’s jap Levante space, which incorporates Valencia, Benidorm, Alicante and Murcia – a well-liked space for British vacationers.
Experiences mentioned the Valencian Neighborhood and the Area of Murcia had been particularly impacted. In line with the Eltiempo information outlet, over 60 millimetres of rain had fallen across the metropolis of Murcia, leaving autos trapped.
Tree branches had been additionally reported to have fallen on tram tracks in Murcia.
One image confirmed a automotive virtually fully submerged on a roundabout.
As of 10pm final evening, the Murcia Plaza outlet mentioned there have been but to be any stories of accidents.
There have been stories of individuals having to be rescued from their autos.
The storms come at a time when many Brits can be jetting off for holidays to flee what has so-far been a disappointing spring.
Temperatures throughout the UK on Tuesday had been forecast to peak at round 15 levels, decrease than many could have been hoping for at the moment of yr.
Nonetheless, the British climate can be preferable to that being seen in Costa Blanca and different areas alongside Spain’s jap Mediterranean coast this week.
Cities like Yecla, on Murcia’s north-east border with Alicante, are among the many locations the place excessive temperatures and blue skies have given solution to superb scenes of hailstones and gusting winds up to now few hours.
A Spanish climate web site, flagging up giant components of jap Spain together with the Costa Blanca, warned this morning: ‘Within the subsequent few hours storms will dump dozens of litres of water and hail on these areas in a really brief area of time. Watch out.’
It mentioned: ‘The forecasts proved to be appropriate and yesterday storms erupted forcefully in components of the east and centre of the peninsula.
‘Within the subsequent few hours intense downpours will achieve protagonism in a number of areas.
The yellow storm and rain alert in place for the Costa Blanca over the following couple of days, in addition to the Balearic Islands of Ibiza and Majorca for at present solely, shouldn’t be set to be lifted till Thursday.
The area most affected has been Spain’s jap Levante space, which incorporates Valencia, Benidorm, Alicante and Murcia (pictured) – a well-liked space for British vacationers
Storm clouds are seen over the town of Murcia because the area was battered by rain and floods
Emergency responders work to pump water out of a constructing in Murcia
Dangerous sea situations on the Costa Blanca forward of this week’s flooding had been blamed for a string of drownings within the province of Alicante final week and over the weekend.
One of many victims was a 52-year-old British holidaymaker who died on Friday after going to assistance from two kids within the water at La Roqueta seashore simply north of Torrevieja. A 46-year-old Polish man who additionally tried to assist them drowned too.
Against this British holidaymakers on the Costa del Sol had been at present basking in superb sunshine.
In Marbella, the place at present is an area Financial institution Vacation coinciding with the resort’s annual feria competition, vacationers had been topping up their tans below blue skies in 26 levels Celsius temperatures (78 levels Fahrenheit).
It made a welcome break for many who had simply flown in from the UK.
Workplace employee Sally Jones, 26, mentioned: ‘I used to be in determined want of sunshine. The climate’s been actually gloomy again residence.
‘I’ve bought associates who’re on the Costa Blanca proper now and are saying they wished they’d come on vacation with me as an alternative.’
Spain shouldn’t be the primary Mediterranean nation to have been hit with excessive flooding this yr, after Italy was additionally struck by flash floods on the finish of Could.
In a single heartbreaking incident, three associates had been caught in a flash flood and swept away – after sharing a last embrace.
Tragic footage posted on X confirmed Patrizia Cormos, 20, her buddy Bianca Doros, 23, and her boyfriend Cristian Molnar, 25, standing thigh deep in a churning river.
Spain shouldn’t be the primary Mediterranean nation to have been hit with excessive flooding this yr, after Italy was additionally struck by flash floods on the finish of Could. Pictured: The tragic second three associates had been seen hugging one another seconds earlier than being swept away through the floods
Pictured are Patrizia Cormos, 20, Cristian Molnar, 25, and his girlfriend Bianca Doros, 23 – the three associates who had been swept away in flood waters in Italy on the finish of Could
The chief of the provincial firefighters in Udinehe, Giorgio Basile, informed The Telegraph he threw them a rope in a determined try and rescue the group.
However tragically they had been ‘swallowed up by the flood waters’ as he watched and he noticed them ‘disappear’ on Could 31.
Two our bodies, believed to be Ms Cormos and Ms Doros, had been found 1km from the spot they had been final seen. The search continues to be persevering with for Mr Molnar, with the fireplace service vowing: ‘We cannot cease till we discover the third lacking individual.’
It was reported on Saturday that the lawyer for the household of Molnar had slammed the emergency companies, saying if they’d responded when the primary emergency name had been put in, the trio might nonetheless be alive.
