NIGHTMARE

PALMA
MUCH of the Balearics was without electricity for several hours after a lightning bolt struck the region's main power station near Alcudia.
Majorca and Minorca ground to a halt at exactly 12.06 pm and it was 90 minutes before the first areas of the region had power restored.
One million users were affected by the breakdown at the massive Es Murterar Power Station on the north coast of Majorca.
Engineers worked frantically to restore power to the islands after the blackout, which occurred as strong winds and heavy rain battered the region.
The electric storms caused a major double fault, which threw the island into chaos. Central areas of Palma were the first districts to be switched back on again at 1.45 pm - but only after almost two hours of mayhem in the city centre. Police were called out to control the movements of thousands of vehicles as lights and signals were disabled by the power cuts. Vehicles were trapped in underground car parks because gates and barriers could not operate without a supply of electricity.