NEW BALEARIC WEATHER EMERGENCY PLAN TO BE DRAWN UP

PALMA
THE Balearic government is going to revise its emergency plan and also introduce a series of measures to make sure that the public knows how to respond to a major incident such as the hurricane which swept across Majorca nearly a year ago.

Yesterday, emergency and weather experts from across the country gathered in Palma to take part in the “Meteoalerta 2008” summit on adverse meteorological conditions.

The first anniversary of the hurricanes which caught Majorca by surprise and caused millions of euros worth of damage to Palma's industrial estates and claimed the life of a foreign tourist is just a few weeks away and yesterday, emergency experts, including members of the Spanish army's risk assessment, prevention and response unit, discussed the latest technological developments and advances in their various fields.

They were joined by scientists, investigators and leading meteorologists as well members of the government in the Canary Islands - another area of Spain subject to adverse weather.

Local councils across the Balearics are starting to prepare for the arrival of winter and possible heavy rains and storms.
The Puigpunyent riverbed, for example, has undergone lengthy and extensive improvements after it flooded last year, trapping a holidaying family in their car and sweeping the young mother away to her death.

What is of growing concern to the local authorities and the emergency services is the growing tendency for torrential showers which dump vast amounts of rain on the Balearics in a relatively short period of time and cause severe flooding.

These heavy showers are apparently going to become increasingly common but, according to meteorologists, the Spanish met. office has vastly improved technology to monitor adverse weather patterns and provide sufficient warnings and the Balearics has a new weather radar located in Cabo Blanco, Majorca.

The Balearic Interior Minister, Maria Angeles Leciñera, said yesterday that the region's emergency plan is somewhat dated and is going to be revised shortly.

She also said that, in the wake of the Don Pedro shipping accident and oil spillage in Ibiza last year, the maritime emergency and response plans will also be updated and improved over the next few months.