Storm, sunloungers and suffering pensioners: Mallorca news round-up

The electric storm on Sunday evening that affected much of Palma had experts rushing around trying to offer us some context for the release of energy by the lightning. Equivalent to that of 21,600 washing machines, observed a body known as Asinem, the association of installers in the Balearics. There was something about 281,000 amps as well, none of it in fact offering real context that anyone could understand, and it wasn't as if 21,600 washing machines had been hurtling around in the sky, though a fair number would have been knocked out of action along with all the traffic lights that packed up.

But we all love a weather story of course, and there is greater love if it is Palma weather because similar events elsewhere will tend not to cause the same chaos, not have the same number of people alarmed by such an intense weather phenomenon, and therefore not invite the same degree of media interest.

The late-April weather was meanwhile doing its best to drown holidaymakers. Attempting to anyway. On Monday, there were supposedly going to be 20 litres of rain (per square metre) over the course of one hour to wash tourists and indeed residents away. Twenty litres. Gosh! Well no, as twenty litres per square metre in an hour are standard enough for a met agency yellow weather alert. And what happened? There were 20 litres - 23.1 to be accurate - over a longer period than one hour on the Serra Alfabia in Bunyola. Otherwise, there weren't 20 litres.

Wouldn't you just know it. Two consecutive days with yellow warnings for rain and it didn't amount to very much. Then when there wasn't an alert - overnight Tuesday - there was a deluge in the east of the island; 37.4 litres per square metre in Son Servera.

The traditional sunlounger controversies

This soggy weather wasn't exactly conducive to taking to the beaches and lounging around on sunloungers. Edging towards the official start of the season (May the first) and there was more on the traditional seasonal sunlounger controversies. The absence of sunloungers wasn't too much of an issue owing to the weather, but absence there nevertheless was, with Calvia's beaches having been among those deprived of this beach service. The town hall was able to announce that it had finally been able to award the concessions for Magalluf, Santa Ponsa, et al.

In Muro, the town hall didn't know how many sunloungers it could put out. The responsibility for this sort of thing having been transferred from the state Costas Authority to the Balearic government's coasts department, the town hall had sent letters to both in seeking clarification. Neither of them had replied.

Alcudia's sunloungers were all out in readiness for the first day of the season, and to celebrate the first of May some fool decided to set fire to them. Only four loungers and two parasols were affected, Alcudia Police taking to social media in reminding whoever had been responsible that destroying public property means that everyone has to pay, including him (assuming it was a him). The police probably intended a double meaning of pay where the "vandal" was concerned.

Tasering a giant

It might have been thought that the wet weather would put a damper on tourist over-exuberance or excess. Not in the case of Billy Vunipola it didn't. The England rugby international was involved in an incident at a Palma club in the early hours of Sunday morning. "An unfortunate misunderstanding when I was leaving a club in Mallorca on Sunday, which got out of hand," he later explained in a post on X. He appeared in court, was given a four-month sentence (not to be served) and handed a fine of 240 euros.

Spanish reporting of the incident stressed that this "giant" had to be tasered twice, because the first shot had not had the desired effect. This reporting also insisted that Billy is Austrian; yes, really, Austria that well-known international rugby powerhouse. He was in fact born in Australia, though why his country of origin should have been of interest was anyone's guess.

In Magalluf, meanwhile, the excesses were those of a club security guard who beat up two British tourists. He was arrested for having caused serious injuries. And in the Balearic parliament, the opposition was accusing the government of promoting drunken tourism. The row over the revised tourism of excesses decree reached parliament, various business associations - hotels, restaurants, nightlife, shops - having been livid with the tourism minister. There hadn't been any consultation on the amended decree.

There will now be plenty, the minister having clearly been stung by the criticisms. It's not known at present when the new decree will be approved. It should have been given the nod on Friday last week.

Still being an ass

There's a reminder that excesses aren't the sole preserve of tourists. A reminder shouldn't be needed, but Calvia town hall has offered it anyway and has teenagers at fiestas in mind.

A special task force has been set up to tackle underage drinking at fiestas, Calvia's councillor for social services and the family, Juana Maria Prats, having expressed her concern that children are starting to drink at an increasingly younger age.

While Calvia's initiative is to be welcomed, it should be noted that a campaign has been running in recent years that has been directed at underage drinking at fiestas. "No siguis ase" (don't be an ass) continues to be highlighted in programmes and organisation for fiestas and for other settings.

Traffic cameras that don't measure speed

We hear a great deal about excesses on the roads, as in traffic congestion and 'saturation' as well as in the noise and risks associated with illegal motorbike races in the Tramuntana Mountains. An issue for years, residents took matters into their hands last October in blocking the road. A group of residents is named after the main road in the Tramuntana, Indignats MA-10, and it is now demanding the resignation of the director of the traffic directorate (DGT), Francisca Ramis.

Angered by previous statements by the DGT, the group is now critical of new traffic cameras. These are for recording violations such as reckless driving and prohibited overtaking, but they don't measure speed or have sound level meters: "As we were promised at the meeting at the Council of Mallorca." This meeting was a couple of months ago. The residents believed that agreements had been reached between the relevant authorities - the Council, the DGT, the Guardia Civil - but issues persist. The DGT points out that it doesn't have powers to issue sanctions for excessive noise.

The Airbus now landing in Formentor

On the Formentor peninsula, where there are all manner of traffic issues, the hotel has finally got all its licences in order. The last one in respect of the hotel's redevelopment has been issued by Pollensa town hall.

One licence not to have been issued is for a heliport. The new owners are said to be interested in having one, the hotel's management company, Four Seasons, wanting guests to be able to arrive by all means of transport - land, sea and air. No application for a licence has been made, and it's highly debatable if it would ever be granted. But a story this week seemed to imply that rather more than a helicopter might be landing in Formentor in the future - an Airbus.

Four Seasons will be offering its own luxury Airbus for charter. It has to be said that there was nothing specific about the hotel in the report, merely the Four Seasons association. Who knows though? The military base more or less next door has an air strip, but an Airbus would probably not be possible.

The flight plight of the pensioners

Palma Son Sant Joan Airport would obviously be a different matter, so long, that is, as the Airbus in question hasn't developed a technical fault. Charter airline Iberojet has Airbus planes at its disposal, and last Friday Iberojet was due to have flown 192 Spanish pensioners from Palma to Malaga.

These were pensioners on an Imserso holiday. They had been staying in Arenal and had arrived at the airport at 5.45am for an 8am flight. Fourteen hours later the flight took off. There had been a technical fault. Their plight attracted a great deal of attention. There was criticism of a lack of information, and at one point the pensioners considered blocking boarding gates as a means of protest.

Much was made of the fact that some of them had "important medication" that was in luggage that had been checked in to the hold. Access was given to suitcases, but it was perhaps reasonable to ask why medication, if it was important, hadn't been in hand luggage. There again, they probably hadn't bargained on a 14-hour delay.