The Balearics was hit by 15.000 bolts of lightning during the Friday storms and yesterday the region started mopping up after another morning of torrential rain. The Balearic met office said yesterday that the electric storms, which lashed the region on Friday and in the early hours of yesterday morning, were most unusual for this time of year. Parts of Majorca were still without power and telephone connections yesterday morning, the phone were dead in Felanitx because the local telephone exchange box, according to the emergency services, was struck by a bolt of lightning. Despite the sun breaking through yesterday afternoon, the Balearics is still on storm alert. While temperatures dropped yesterday, rainfall reached up to 72 litres per square metre in some parts of Majorca. Usually bone-dry river beds burst their banks and scores of roads were blocked while homes and business across the region were flooded. Firemen worked throughout the night on Friday, pumping out homes and basements and clearing roads - but this morning's rains could be as heavy as yesterday with, some 60 litres per square metre. Lluchmajor reported 72 litres of rain per square metre and in Arenal, where the sea front was water logged, 58 litres per square meter were recorded. Galilea, Porto Pi, Santa María, Sa Cabaneta, Campos and Inca all reported between 40 and 50 litres. The met office said last night that the wind and rain will persist this morning - but come this afternoon, the cold front should have moved off into France. The wind caused a number of problems in Llucmajor, bringing downs trees, blocking roads. Two vehicles were trapped under bridges by flood waters in Marratxi and had to be pulled out to safety by tow trucks. Fire crews were still busy yesterday afternoon, pumping basement and clearing water logged roads in Calvia, Santa Eugenia and Manacor. Engineers for power company Gesa worked throughout the night in dangerous conditions to repair the numerous faults. In total nearly 7'000 homes suffered blackout over the past two days yesterday morning 740 homes lost suffered a power cut in Sant Llorens and 150 people were still without power in Sa Rapita after the supply went down in the early hours of the morning. The Civil Protection department last night repeated its warnings to drivers or today and for yacht crews to continue checking the weather forecasts.
Balearics hit by 15.000 bolts of lightning