Mallorca’s golden beaches turned white as freak hailstorm stuns holidaymakers
Huge hailstones pelt Porto Cristo turning sand to ice as storms batter the island with more rain forecast
Holidaymakers in Mallorca got more than they bargained for on Monday 12 May when a sudden hailstorm swept across the island and turned sunny beaches into something that looked more like the Alps.Over in the eastern resort of Porto Cristo, the transformation was particularly striking. One minute, golden sand and sunbeds; the next, a thick blanket of ice. The hail came down so fast and hard that people ran for cover as huge chunks bounced off sun loungers and smashed outdoor tiles. Some of the footage posted online is genuinely jaw-dropping.
Manacor, Sant Llorenç and Sa Pobla were among the worst hit, with the heavy downpours causing flash flooding across parts of the island. Spain’s state weather agency AEMET reported that a whopping 50 litres of rain per square metre fell on Manacor in just half an hour. No wonder the roads turned into rivers.
Yellow weather warnings were issued for both Mallorca and Menorca, and more wet weather could be on the way. Cars were seen wading through knee-deep water, and in some areas like Formentor and Sa Calobra, the rain was so intense it even caused waterfalls to form.
So, what’s behind this chaos? It’s something the Spanish call a “DANA” – short for “Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos”. Basically, it’s a small piece of cold air that breaks away high up in the atmosphere and mixes with warm Mediterranean air. When that happens, the weather can turn wild fast, bringing with it torrential rain, hail and the kind of flash floods that are difficult to prepare for.
Oddly, despite the ice and flooding, temperatures on the island were still high, reaching up to 27°C, making the whole experience feel strangely tropical and sticky.
This comes just days after Valencia and Murcia were hit by similar weather, and less than six months since major flooding in Spain in Valencia claimed over 230 lives.
With yellow alerts still in place, AEMET says more rain could fall (up to 70 litres per square metre in some parts) so locals and visitors alike are being urged to stay alert and follow any advice being issued.
Image: Hans/Pixabay
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