Operations resume at Majorca's main airport following flash floods
Flights to and from Majorca’s main airport in Palma have resumed after operations were halted due to heavy rain.
The airport was forced to close for an hour on Tuesday afternoon (11 June) after a severe storm flooded the main terminal and the airport’s runways, causing cancellations and diversions.
According to the Palma Met Office, around 74 litres of rain per square metre fell over the airport on Tuesday, with 45 litres per square metre falling during the span of a single hour. Sky News reports the rain peaked at around 9cm (3.5 inches) per hour.
“Majorca airport has resumed operations following the storm’s passing,” the airport said in a statement later on Tuesday. “The first departures and arrivals have already restarted and all diverted flights are expected to land in Palma throughout the afternoon."
Images from the scene show aircraft standing in several inches of water on the airfield and water gushing through parts of the airport terminal.
It comes as Majorca finds itself in the spotlight owing to protests over the perceived negative impact of tourism on the island and its people.
Anti-tourism activists occupied Sa Rapita beach earlier this month to protest overtourism, which campaigners say is causing congestion and inflating living costs.
Majorcans are expected to occupy the famous El Calo des Moro beach on Sunday (16 June), and have threatened to bring the airport to a standstill this summer. The Balearic government has said it will take "all necessary measures" to prevent any such action.
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