Violent storm hits Mallorca with large hail, damaging tornado, Spain
A violent storm hit Mallorca, Spain's largest island over the weekend, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, hail, and a damaging tornado on August 29, 2020.
Regional government's emergency department officials said they've recorded 101 incidents on August 29. The Majorca Fire Brigade said floods and landslides caused damage in parts of the Tramuntana — Banyalbufar, Esporles, Estellencs, Valldemossa, blocking roads and causing power outages.
A damaging tornado hit Banyalbufar, causing major damage. Mayor Mateu Ferra said that many residents are going to need help. The first step to declaring it a disaster area is to quantify the extent of damage, he said.
Thousands of trees were downed or damaged, and the landscape will take years to recover, Ferra added. The damage to property is extensive and includes some well-known buildings such as at Richard Branson's Son Bunyola estate, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reports.
Several people were injured during the event, but none seriously.
Large hail, up to 2 cm (0.8 inches) in diameter was reported in Bunyola, Valldemossa, Soller, and Escorca, before the storm moved to Andratx, Calvia and Palma.
No había visto algo así en mi vida… Na Foradada #Mallorca @AEMET_SINOBAS @AEMET_Baleares @ecazatormentas @MiquelSalamanca @SpainStormPred @severeweatherEU @Meteodemallorca @Supercelulas pic.twitter.com/JPEjBvDxCa
— Duncan Wingen (@DuncanWingen) August 29, 2020
Técnicos de @AEMET_Baleares se han desplazado a zonas de la #SerraTramuntana, afectadas por las tormentas, para valorar si las causas de los destrozos se han debido a cap de fibló o rachas de viento asociadas a aquéllas:
la orientación de los árboles caídos es un indicador. pic.twitter.com/r1JQ8HG7nJ— AEMET_Baleares (@AEMET_Baleares) August 29, 2020
@AEMET_SINOBAS @AEMET_Baleares @tomas_salom @MiquelSalamanca @MetIllesBalears @rbmeteonews @Meteodemallorca, m'han passat aquest video, no se qui és l'autor, impresiona!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/sRzpJbWtMr
— toni juan sancho (@tonijuan34) August 29, 2020
Continuam fent feina per obrir camí fins a Port des Canonge@ibanat_IB @112IllesBalears @guardiacivil pic.twitter.com/BMne0u0oT6
— Bombers de Mallorca (@BombersdeMca) August 29, 2020
Minutos antes de que cayera el enorme granizo… una sensación indescriptible ⚡️@MiquelSalamanca @AEMET_Baleares @Supercelulas @RAM_meteo @ecazatormentas @Meteodemallorca @AEMET_SINOBAS pic.twitter.com/keSgXa3uye
— Duncan Wingen (@DuncanWingen) August 29, 2020
Rachas máximas en las 12 horas anteriores (km/h)
Alfàbia 91
Capdepera 75
Binissalem 72
Sa Pobla 70
Sta Maria 65
Aerop.Palma 63
P.Sóller 56
Sineu 54C.Galdana 45
Aerop.Menorca 42
Es Mercadal 39Aerop.Ibiza 45
Eivissa 45
Formentera 36https://t.co/L85wiBYgfj pic.twitter.com/HUsVzD79qN— AEMET_Baleares (@AEMET_Baleares) August 29, 2020
Joan Simonet, the Asaja manager in the Balearics, believes that up to 80% of the grape and olive harvest could have been ruined in the Porreres and Felanitx area because of hail. The damage, he says, goes beyond what falls to the ground, as fruit that remains on trees or on vines can be rendered useless.
Authorities in Palma closed some of their main beaches — Cala Major, Can Pere Antoni, Ciutat Jardí — due to discharges of untreated wastewater.
Featured image credit: AEMET
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