The Balearics will draw up a plan to minimise the risks of the total solar eclipse scheduled for 12 August, which will be particularly visible from areas such as the Serra de Tramuntana, and is considering the possibility of imposing transport restrictions. Today, Thursday, the Balearic government set up the Commission for the Management of Actions Related to the Total Solar Eclipse of 2026, which will include the Federation of Local Entities of the Balearic Islands (Felib), the island councils and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB).
The commission will be made up of four groups that will meet once a month, led by the directors-general of the regional government and divided by topics such as mobility, prevention, civil protection and environmental risk management; public health; communication and tourism; and scientific dissemination.
According to the Minister of the Presidency, Coordination of Government Action and Local Cooperation, Antònia Maria Estarellas, these groups will address issues ranging from travel planning and the protection of natural spaces to the prevention of health risks, information campaigns, coordination with the tourism sector and the promotion of scientific and educational activities.
With all this information, much of which has yet to be compiled, such as the number of people expected to travel to the region to witness the phenomenon, the commission will draw up an action plan aimed at minimising potential risks. ‘We know, because the scientific community has told us, that when phenomena of this kind have occurred in other places, in larger territories, certain problems have arisen in terms of crowding, eye damage and accidents. There may be risks and they have to be addressed,’ she stressed.
The second vice-president of the regional government acknowledged that the possibility of having to impose restrictions on mobility, for example by closing certain roads, cannot be ruled out.
However, she insisted on the need to have as much data as possible in order to make informed decisions. ‘I am confident that all the institutions will be able to manage these crowds,’ she said.
The commission aims to ensure the coordinated management of all actions related to the eclipse, which will take place on 12 August - approximately between 7.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. - and which in Mallorca will be visible in its entirety in the Serra de Tramuntana and in some municipalities in the south.
The focus will be on measures related to public safety, civil protection and emergencies, mobility, public health, institutional communication and scientific dissemination. "The ultimate goal is to develop a regional action plan that will allow us to anticipate risks, minimise impacts and take advantage of the opportunities that this exceptional event represents for the Balearics."