Winter Storm Hits Mallorca

AFP-Jiji

17:24 JST, March 8, 2023

MADRID (AFP-Jiji) — Snow blanketed Spain’s holiday island of Mallorca on Feb. 28 as a winter storm brought strong winds and freezing temperatures to large parts of the country.

The Mediterranean island, which normally experiences mild winters, bore the brunt of Storm Juliette, with mountainous areas especially affected.

In parts of northern Mallorca a meter of snow accumulated in 24 hours, said Ruben del Campo, the spokesperson for Spanish national weather office AEMET, calling it an “extraordinary snowfall.”

The snow was accompanied by strong winds, with gusts of up to 117 kph, according to the weather office, and heavy rains.

The storm dumped more than 100 liters per square meter in several parts of the island, according to local media.

Known for its picturesque beaches, Mallorca — part of the Balearic Islands, which include Ibiza and Menorca — gets more than 300 days of sunshine per year, according to its tourism board.

Heavy rainfall however is common in the autumn and winter, though heavy snowfall is rare.

The islands were not the only part of Spain to be affected, with temperatures plunging to minus 16 C in the northern province of Guadalajara.

The cold weather caused snow to fall in other places where it is rare, such as the northern city of San Sebastian as well as the Mediterranean port of Barcelona.

Del Campo said it was Barcelona’s “most intense snowfall” since March 2018.