Big balearic freeze

As much as 15 centimetres of snow fell on the Puig Mayor, Majorca's highest mountain and neighbouring peaks yesterday although fortunately, the polar snap which hit the region was not as bad as the met office had forecast. Last night the met office said that the Balearics had escaped the worst of the cold front and that the snow was moving off to the south of Spain. Neverthless, yesterday the maximum daytime temperature was 9ºC and the minimum, in Lluc, 4ºC while in most places temperatures dropped to zero over night and for the next few days, temperatures will fall further. Balearic met office director Agustín Jansá said yesterday that severe freezing and black ice can be expected inland over night on Sunday. While the snow failed to creep below 700 metres yesterday, 68.5 litres per square metre of rain fell on the island of Cabrera, 30 litres in Porto Colom, 27 litres in LLuc, 23 litres in Minorca and 20 litres in Ibiza. Gale force winds also battered the Balearics but local ports remained open. 1.000 ferry passengers bound for the Balearics from Denia on the mainland were trapped by the “dangerous weather” and five metre waves before being diverted to Valencia to make the crossings to Palma and Ibiza. Snow and isolated outbreaks of torrential rain are no longer the main concern this weekend. The authorities are now bracing themselves for 80 to 100 kilometre per hour winds which will make conditions feel even colder and could bring the snow line down to 400 to 500 metres. The Guardia Civil said last night that only necessary car journeys should be made over the weekend.