Four yachts destroyed by gales in Andratx

THE Port of Andratx was yet again counting the costs of the past two days of gale force winds yesterday.
The picturesque port is always caught up in the eye of the winter storms which batter the island and the fierce winds and heavy rain have taken their toll again.

A total of four vessels were damaged including an eight-metre launch which was only bought recently by a local for 30'000 euros.

There was not much left yesterday apart from broken boats floating about the port.
There has been much talk over the past year of improving the port's breakwater, itself seriously damaged by a storm a few years ago, but since repaired, and installing better protection for smaller vessels, especially those moored in the middle of the port. The four damaged vessels were apparently moored up by the little lighthouse when the storm hit, cutting them adrift.

But the area of El Molinar and Portixol resembled a war zone for the second consecutive day.

On Tuesday, the sea front road was closed to traffic and pedestrians and the waves broke the beach head and practically reached the houses as they spewed debris, sand and rocks across the road and terraces.

A number of front line bars and houses were flooded by the force of the waves.
Yesterday, the sea front in El Molinar was still covered in a thick cake of sand, seaweed, rocks and debris thrown up by the waves powered by winds which peaked at over 90 kilometres per hour at some points on Monday night and continued to blow fiercely over night on Tuesday. However, a significant improvement in the weather was noticeable yesterday afternoon and this will continue into the weekend.