Title: Record downpour at Palma airport
A heavy storm hit Palma on Tuesday, causing serious flooding at Son Sant Joan airport and forcing all operations to be halted for two hours. According to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), the rainfall recorded set a historical record for Son Sant Joan in June: 71.8 liters per square meter, surpassing the 55.9 liters recorded on June 2, 1991. The Directorate General of Civil Protection and Emergencies classifies rainfall above 60 liters per hour as torrential.
At Palma airport, up to 45 liters of rain fell in one hour, with peaks of up to 90 liters, leading to flooding in access roads and the terminal building. Numerous videos from users and workers flooded social media with images of completely flooded areas, including shops like the duty-free store, the outdoor parking area, and the runways.
The inability to deploy the fingers from the terminals forced many passengers on just-landed planes to be held for hours. Additionally, around forty workers had to remain locked in a Globalia hangar until around seven in the evening when they were escorted out by police.
AENA temporarily suspended operations during the heaviest rainfall between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, with a short break around 2:30 pm, according to AEMET data. This suspension lasted for about two hours. Out of the 900 flights scheduled for Tuesday, nearly 100 were affected by the storm, either delayed, diverted to other airports, or canceled.
Meanwhile, the airport closed its entrances, causing significant road congestion. The emergency flooding plan was activated, and operations resumed as soon as possible. By 5:30 pm, activity started returning to normal, but the downpour had caused significant material damage to all airport facilities.
According to the AEMET spokesperson in the Balearic delegation, Bernat Amengual, the heavy rainfall was concentrated in specific areas of the capital due to low-level wind convergences in the Can Pastilla area and surrounding areas. The cloud mass formed over the entire archipelago and much of the western Mediterranean, «fueled by terrestrial heat,» poured over the area and kept the orange alert in place until nine in the evening.
Amengual mentioned that the weather should improve in the coming hours, although new rainfall is expected, especially concentrated in the Serra de Tramuntana, the south, and the interior of the island.
