Rain at last

We are so lucky on Majorca. We must be one of the few places in Europe which actually celebrates when it rains. This is not some promotional piece from the local ministry for tourism, it is the honest truth. Last Sunday it rained on the island and I think you can say that there was a general sense of relief. Granted it did not rain too hard but after all the scare stories during the week about drought it was certainly a welcome sight. The Balearic president, Francina Armengol, had said earlier in the week that the local government couldn't guarantee the water supply over the summer period. That got alarm bells ringing across Europe. Just three days later and the heavens burst open and again on Monday. I suspect that Armengol was over the moon even though the weather may have ruined her Sunday! It is said that Majorca is a holiday paradise because there is sunshine 300 days of the year; over the last 12 months the figure is probably even higher. The local met office is forecasting more rain for the coming days. But I sincerely doubt the sudden downpour is going to save the Balearic government. They need to introduce a major water-saving plan and also fix the network of leaking pipes. In some parts of the island almost 30 per cent of water is lost because of a poor supply system. So bring on the rain. But don't forget that Majorca's record of 300 days of sunshine a year is very safe.