October warmer than normal

Joan Collins
PALMA
THE first 20 days of October in the Balearics have generally had an average temperature of between one and two degrees Celsius above the normal for this month. According to Maria Jose Guerrero, of the Balearic Met Office, “the average temperatures so far in October have been between 20 and 22º C. “This is one to two degrees above the historic averages for this period, so we are looking at a warm October which, in Portopi, at the moment, would be the third hottest in recorded history.” She went on to say “at Palma airport and in Sa Pobla it would be the second hottest, taking into account that the hottest October recorded was in 2001, just five years ago. “However,” she added, “if the current trend persists, October 2006 will probably be the hottest in recorded history as there are no predictions of any cold fronts, just warmer ones”. September was also hotter than usual and a report by the Balearic university, commissioned by the local government and published earlier this month predicted that temperatures will rise between five and six degrees Celsius over the next 100 years, while rainfall is expected to drop by 29 per cent over the same period. The pattern of rainfall is also changing, the report said.
The University experts said that global warming is a fact, and various studies show that the Mediterranean is one of the areas most sensitive to its effects. But despite the fine weather, the Acciona-Trasmediterranea shipping company had to cancel the sailing of their ferry, the Millenium yesterday due to rough seas, according to sources from the Balearic Port Authority. The ferry should have left Palma for Barcelona at 10am but was unable to.
The prevailing strong winds also forced the Balearia shipping company to cancel their first sailings of the day for Savina, on Formentera.
The ferries affected were the Arlequin Rojo and the Nixe.
They were due to sail at 7 and 7.30am respectively.
According to the Port Authority sources, nothing moved until 10.25am in the ports of Alcudia on Majorca, and Mahon on Minorca, but it had not been necessary to close any ports. The forecast from the National Institute of Meteorology for yesterday was for moderate winds from the east and south east, with strong gusts in Ibiza and Formentera. Afternoon sailings were not affected.