Storm Betty has swept the Balearic Islands from west to east with hurricane-force winds of up to 120 kilometers per hour that have caused numerous incidents and damage to the islands. It was feared for the life of a young canoeist who was being searched for in Calvià by aerial means who was finally rescued safe and sound on the Malgrats islands.
The 112 reports that there have been no very serious incidents, although they have had to carry out more than 86 actions in Mallorca, mostly due to falling trees due to the strong wind. In Puigpunyent, the occupants of a vehicle that had been blocked by a falling tree have been rescued.
The storm has entered the archipelago through the Andratx area, where it has caused significant damage to the port, with damaged boats, fallen trees and destroyed street furniture flying through the air. Little by little it has been entering the island. In the port of Palma, the strong wind has broken the moorings of one of the large tourist cruise ships moored in the port and has been displaced to the other side of the dock.
In Menorca, the combination of wind and rain has caused a rissaga of more than one meter, according to Aemet. The rains have fallen with such force that they have caused the torrents to overflow in numerous points of Mallorca since the channels have not been able to contain the flood that came down from the highest points.
In Palma there have been numerous incidents in which the Police and emergency services have had to intervene due to the virulence of the episode of wind and rain. Despite the fact that it was Sunday and there were very few vehicles, the chaos caused by the wind and the intense rains that barely left visibility has caused traffic jams to form in the streets of the city.
In the Serra de Alfàbia there have been gusts of 120 kilometers per hour, while in Port de Sóller they have been 102 kilometers. At another point in the Serra de Tramontana, in Banyalbufar, the wind has reached 89 kilometers per hour, but there have also been significant gusts in the interior of the island, such as Sa Pobla, where they have reached 89 kilometers per hour. Gusts of 108 kilometers at Palma airport have forced flights to be diverted and some departures delayed, according to Aena.
In Port de Sóller, 65 liters per square meter have been collected, 50 in Escorca, 48.8 in Pollença and 40 in Banyalbufar. The forecast is that the orange alert will continue throughout today. In fact, the Aemet warns that a new violent phenomenon like that of this Sunday morning could be repeated.
