Huge snowfalls in the Mediterranean archipelago of the Balearic Islands, gusts of wind, freezing temperature of minus 16 degrees in the center of the country: the "Juliet" storm is currently wreaking havoc in Spain, plunging the country back into winter.
Yet renowned for their mild and pleasant climate, which make it a paradise for European tourists, the Balearic Islands, off the east coast of the country, are the most affected, in particular the largest island, that of Majorca.
"In some places in the north of Mallorca, the snow cover exceeded one meter in 24 hours above 800 meters," said the spokesman for the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet), Rubén del Campo, who spoke of "extraordinary" snowfall.
Majorca also recorded violent gusts of wind which reached 117 km / h, according to Aemet, as well as torrential rains, local media reporting more than 100 liters per square meter in many localities.
These rains could be the cause of several landslides in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the island, the most important having produced a gaping hole eight meters in diameter and four meters deep on an avenue of the city.
But it also snowed at sea level in San Sebastian, in the Basque country (north of the country), and in Catalonia (north-east), where the upper part of Barcelona, as well as coastal localities south of the great Catalan metropolis, were carpeted in white at daybreak.
"This is the heaviest snowfall since March 2018" in Barcelona, said Rubén del Campo.
In the interior of the country, the famous "Cold Triangle", an area straddling Aragon and Castile known for its harsh winter climate, has lived up to its reputation.
The town of Molina de Aragón, in the province of Guadalajara (Castilla-La Mancha region), woke up Tuesday morning with a temperature of minus 16 degrees, while it was minus 11 degrees not far from there in Teruel (Aragon), according to the temperatures recorded by the Aemet.
Mr del Campo clarified that the “weather spring”, which begins on Wednesday March 1, will begin with “minimum temperatures five to ten degrees below normal in most” of the country.
The interior of the country will still be on alert for the cold on Wednesday, while the Balearic Islands will be for the wind and the tides.
al/CHZ/mr
28/02/2023 19:05:51 - Madrid (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
