LIGHTNING STRIKES!

LIGHTNING struck in abundance in the early hours of yesterday morning when storms swept the Balearics.
Across the Islands and over the surrounding sea areas, 2'225 flashes lit up the skies and caused delays in five flights attempting to leave Palma airport, as well as power cuts which affected hundreds of homes and businesses. The Balearic Meteorological Centre confirmed that the majority of Majorca's 1'697 lightning strikes; Minorca's 248; and Ibiza and Formentera's 280, fell over the sea. Nevertheless, the Spanish Airports Authority said that the excessive amount of electricity discharge was sufficient for Palma airport to ban aircraft refuelling between 00.42 and 02.32 hours. This led to delays averaging more than one hour each for five flights scheduled to depart from Majorca. Heavy lightning activity also meant periodic power cuts, lasting up to two hours at a time, for customers of the energy supply company Gesa Endesa. Official sources confirmed that those affected were in areas where electricity is fed by generators located in Santa Maria and El Arenal on Majorca, San Jordi (Ibiza) and in a rural zone next to the main road running between Mahon and Alaior (Minorca). The Meteorological Centre also indicated that the Minorcan district of Punta Prima (San Luis) registered the highest amount of rainfall in the region, with 23.2 lites per square metre. The storms began in Ibiza, where they were at their strongest in San José, with 11 litres of rain per square metre. From there they spread across the rest of the Islands with growing intensity. In Capdepera in the northeastern part of Majorca, the strongest gust of wind was measured at 70 kilometres per hour, although the Meteorological Centre pointed out that this part of the Island is prone to showing high wind readings as the lighthouse which houses the measuring gauge is located in an isolated coastal position. Data considered to be a better overall guidline is collected in Pollensa in the north of Majorca which registered winds gusts at 58 kilometres per hour.