Palma airport is experiencing widespread delays and some cancellations today as a result of the bad weather that affected the region during the early hours of this morning. The cancellations have so far affected travelers flying to and from popular destinations, including Palma, Barcelona, Granada, Ibiza, Paris, and London Gatwick.
According to information provided by airport authority Aena shortly before 2 p.m., of the flights scheduled to depart from Palma Son Sant Joan airport, 122 are delayed and five have been cancelled. Those that were due to land in Palma and have accumulated delays now total 118, while 13 have been suspended. Another 13 have had to be diverted to other destinations.
Ibiza Airport, although to a lesser extent, has also experienced some incidents. There are no flight delays, but 12 flights have been cancelled, five that were due to take off and seven that were due to land on the larger of the Pitiusas Islands. Menorca airport has not reported any delays or cancellations so far, according to information published by Aena.
The reasons are:
Weather Conditions: Severe weather warnings were in effect across Spain, including orange alerts for storms and heavy rain in regions like Mallorca and Ibiza.
Operational Challenges: Airlines often face operational difficulties, such as crew shortages or technical issues, leading to flight cancellations.
Air Traffic Control Delays: Congestion in European airspace can result in delays and cancellations.
In the meantime, the Balearic Government’s Directorate-General for Emergencies and the Interior has activated Severity Level 1 / IG-1 of the Special Plan for Adverse Weather Conditions (Meteobal) and is asking the general public to ‘exercise extreme caution’.
However, it is sending a message of reassurance, as ‘the situation is being monitored continuously and all necessary preventive measures are being coordinated. People are advised to exercise extreme caution, stay tuned to official information that will be updated throughout the day, and follow civil protection instructions if necessary.’
Among other measures, Emergències urges citizens to ‘avoid travelling by car unless absolutely necessary’. If you must drive, the aforementioned directorate-general of the Government asks you to moderate your speed, increase your safety distance and use motorways, dual carriageways and main roads. In case of low visibility, it is recommended to stop the vehicle and signal your position.
“Do not enter flood-prone areas, even if there appears to be little water: even at low heights, vehicles float and can be easily swept away. If your car starts to float and is swept away, get out immediately. If this is not possible through the door, use the window. Abandon the vehicle and move to higher ground if it is immobilised by the water or if the water level has already reached the axle,‘ it stresses. It also emphasises the need to have a charged mobile phone and sufficient fuel in the vehicle. ’Do not park on bridges, pavements or river mouths,” it concludes.
The first hours of rain, which are expected to continue throughout Tuesday across the Balearics, have caused at least 48 incidents in Mallorca. This is according to the emergency services up to 10 a.m., as reported by 112 on its social media account. The most affected municipalities were Palma (24), Calvia (9), Algaida (3), Andratx (3), Manacor (2), Marratxí (2) and, to a lesser extent, Deya, Escorca, Puigpunyent, Sant Joan and Santa Maria.
Most incidents were related to flooding on ground floors and public roads, fallen trees and landslides.
The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) forecasts that the instability will continue in the region throughout the day after the storms recorded during the early hours of the morning. Heavy showers and storms are expected, locally very heavy or torrential, and hailstorms cannot be ruled out. The islands have already experienced very heavy or torrential storms and showers, with gusts of up to 91 km/h. The Aemet has issued an orange warning for rain and storms and 112 has issued a severity index of one (IG-1) under the Meteobal Plan, i.e. an orange alert.