Torrential rain disturbs daily life in Spain’s Balearic Islands

(MENAFN) The Balearic Islands were hit by violent storms on Tuesday, bringing massive downpours that disrupted transportation, flooded major roads, and forced schools to keep children indoors for safety.

Weather authorities reported that Ibiza and Formentera experienced some of the heaviest rain, with measurements showing up to 200 liters per square meter falling in just two hours. Forecasts indicated as much as 180 liters per square meter over a 12-hour period. The intense storm quickly overwhelmed drainage systems, leaving key access routes to Ibiza town submerged.

Emergency services raised the alert level to red—the country’s highest warning—until 4 p.m. local time, later reducing it to orange. Officials explained that the scale of the storm required constant reassessment as conditions worsened.

Emergency teams emphasized that the situation evolved rapidly throughout the day. According to reports, one official described how authorities had to adapt their response as new problems emerged.

Regional leaders canceled afternoon classes, urging families not to pick up children from schools and assuring that students were secure under teacher supervision. At midday, Civil Protection sent out mobile alerts across Ibiza warning of “serious flood risk” and instructing residents to stay indoors, avoid rivers or low-lying areas, and move to upper floors if their homes began to flood.

Transport networks ground to a halt, with ring roads closed and bus services suspended.

The storm followed another day of severe weather, after heavy rains from storm Gabrielle on Monday triggered flash flooding in Valencia, Catalonia, and Aragon. In those regions, rainfall reached up to 100 liters per square meter within hours, and police reported multiple rescues of drivers trapped in their vehicles.

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