Six hours of storm chaos

Palma.—The Met. office got it right yesterday, only the belt of torrential rain and gale force winds hit the Balearics earlier than expected.
Between 7a.m. and 1.30pm, the 112 Balearic emergency centre responded to a total of 84 weather-related incidents across the Balearics, but the majority, 74, were in Majorca.
According to the Balearic Met. office gale force winds reached speeds  of  94 kilometres per hour  with gusts of 108 kmph in Portocolom, 91 kilometres per hour in Capdepera and 74 kilometres per hour at Son San Joan airport with widespread torrential downpours of rain reported. In Majorca, the majority of the incidents the emergency services had to deal with were in Palma.
Traffic was brought to a halt in some areas by flooded roundabouts and tunnels while scores of trees,  branches, lamp posts and advertising hoardings were blown down. Parts of the capital’s sewage system over flowed and a number of houses and shops had to be pumped dry.