An urgent weather warning has been issued for two major Spanish islands loved by Brits. Heavy rain alerts are in place for Majorca and Ibiza, just hours after Lanzarote experienced severe flooding. The warning comes as weather experts shared that Storm Olivier’s impacts will hit harder than expected. The public, both locals and tourists, are expected to face thunderstorms and hail.
Lanzarote was swept by catastrophic flooding over the weekend, hitting several towns, including the city of Arrecife. A state of emergency was declared. The UK Government has also issued a travel warning to UK holidaymakers planning to visit the island after “unprecedented” conditions.
A yellow alert by the State Meteorological Agency, a Spanish government agency, is currently in place for heavy rains on Sunday night (April 13) and Monday (April 14) in both Ibiza and Majorca. The rainfall could result in 20 litres per square metre in just one hour.
Weather agency Aemet first announced that Storm Olivier would only cause partial cloud cover and light rainfall.
Spanish islands were hit the night of Wednesday, April 9, sparking torrential rain across Lanzarote over the weekend. Shocking footage online showed cars being swept out of the streets, and it was reported that homes, businesses, and hotels were left without electricity as they were submerged in water.
Mike Hallet, a British tourist from Bridlington, Yorkshire, told Metro: “The motorways were flooded, water was coming off embankments like full blown waterfalls. It was proper full on. I’ve never seen water like it. I’m amazed no one was killed. It felt like Armageddon.”
The current weather warnings come as forecasts suggest that the challenging conditions are set to be especially brutal in the south and east of Majorca.
The alert will extend further inland on the island. However, it is expected to be deactivated by Monday afternoon after conditions should improve.
There is still a chance of rain between Monday and Wednesday. Temperatures are set to drop on Wednesday and are forecasted to range between 23C and 14C.
Menorca and Formentera are also included in the warning, where heavy rainfall is also expected.