Severe storm floods Palma de Mallorca Airport, suspending flights, Spain

A severe storm swept over southern Spain on June 12, 2024, dropping 50 mm (2 inches) of rainfall over Palma de Mallorca Airport within just 1 hour. The deluge inundated runways and terminals, causing flight cancelations.

Flash flooding due to torrential rains on Tuesday caused the suspension of flights at Palma de Mallorca airport in Mallorca, Spain. The airport is the third busiest in the country, receiving roughly 31 million passengers in 2023. The weather station at the airport reported 50 mm (1.96 inches) of rain per hour.

Data from Spain’s state weather service AEMET shows that 71.8 mm (2.82 inches) of rain fell at its station at the airport in a span of four hours.

The southern province of Murcia also faced a similar situation, with rain sparking flash floods. Officials reported that multiple water rescues were carried out on June 12, as some people found themselves trapped inside their vehicles surrounded by floodwater.

Local authorities posted videos on social media showing the extent of the flooding. Murcia firefighters said they had responded to over 200 incidents, according to a Facebook post by local government authorities.

While storm warnings have been revoked in Murcia, the floods have caused significant damage to the province and kept local authorities busy.

Featured image credit: FORTA (stillshot)