PALMA
MINIMUM temperatures dropped to near freezing in Palma on Friday night and below zero in the mountains with snow forecast at 600 metres for today with odds on a white Christmas in Majorca slashed yesterday as the long term weather forecasts started to be produced by the met. office.
The next three days are going to be cold, damp and windy and the snow level is going to fall to below 600 metres on Monday and temperatures tumble further.
No improvement in the weather is expected until Wednesday, the snow level will rise to 900 metres on Tuesday, but long term conditions are expected to continue unsettled meaning there is a good chance that there may well be dusting of snow over the tops of Majorca's mountains for Christmas. One thing that no one can argue with is that it is certainly a lot colder than last weekend.
Last Sunday, the maximum temperature was an average of 7ºC above the December average maximums but today, the terraces will most probably be empty with the rain, which managed to hold off for most of yesterday, certain to reach the region and fall as snow in the mountains. The chill factor will be greater this morning because of the gale force north easterly winds which will die away this afternoon. In fact, the whole of Spain is shivering with temperatures having dropped to much lower than usual over the past 48 hours.
In Teruel, for example, the temperature plummeted to -11ºC and in Burgos -14ºC.
It is not going to get that cold here in the Balearics but over night temperatures are going to drop below freezing in most parts of the island over the next few days and the high winds will make it feel colder than it really is during the day.
Power company GESA reported a steady surge on the Balearic electricity grid as people started to crank up their central heating while retailers are glad that winter has finally arrived and that people are finally starting to buy their winter clothes.