On June 11, 2024, the island of Mallorca, a popular tourist destination known for its picturesque beaches and sunny weather, faced a severe weather challenge as torrential rains led to significant flooding at Palma de Mallorca Airport, the third-largest airport in Spain. The airport, which had a record-breaking passenger traffic of 31.1 million in the previous year, was brought to a standstill as heavy rainfall overwhelmed its infrastructure, causing disruptions to flight operations and affecting hundreds of passengers.
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The storm, characterized by intense rainfall and strong winds, saw the airport recording an unprecedented 71.7mm of rain in just three hours, with 34.6mm falling in a single hour. This deluge led to the flooding of the airport's runways, parking areas, and parts of the terminal building, causing chaos for travelers and airport staff alike. The situation was so severe that the airport had to activate its emergency plan, temporarily suspending all operations and rerouting flights to alternative airports.
Videos and images shared on social media platforms showed the extent of the flooding, with water cascading through the airport's ceiling and flooding the tarmac, rendering it unusable for flight operations. Passengers were seen wading through water in the terminal, and airport staff struggled to manage the situation amidst the chaos. Transport Minister Oscar Puente confirmed that flights to Mallorca were temporarily rerouted to alternative airports, and the airport's operator, Aena, issued a statement highlighting the "impossibility of operating safely" due to the flooding. The national weather agency, AEMET, reported rainfall of nearly 5cm per hour, with peaks of up to 9cm in less than an hour, highlighting the severity of the storm.
Local authorities and emergency services were mobilized to manage the situation, with efforts focused on ensuring the safety of passengers and staff and minimizing disruptions to travel plans. The Balearic Directorate General of Emergencies and Interior (DGEI) also activated the special flood risk plan (Inunbal) to enhance preparedness for future flood risks, given the region's vulnerability to such events. The flooding at Palma de Mallorca Airport serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by extreme weather events to critical infrastructure, particularly in regions prone to such occurrences. It underscores the need for robust contingency planning and the importance of investing in infrastructure resilience to mitigate the impact of such events on travel and tourism, which are vital economic sectors for the region. As the situation at the airport gradually normalized, with flights resuming later in the day, the incident highlighted the need for continued vigilance and preparedness in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, a reality that many regions across the globe are grappling with in the context of climate change.