Ibiza: The tail end of the storm that crossed the Atlantic as Hurricane Gabrielle continued to cause significant disruption on the Spanish islands of Ibiza and Formentera on Tuesday. The AEMET weather service maintained the highest red alert level on both islands until 4 pm (1400 GMT), with the newspaper Diario de Ibiza reporting considerable damage.
According to Ghana News Agency, videos on social media depicted cars being swept away by floodwaters on Ibiza and in the Valencia region of mainland Spain. Ibiza’s fire brigade responded to more than 20 emergency calls on Tuesday morning, with reports from El Pas and other media outlets indicating that many of these were people trapped in their cars or homes. Several roads, including the access road to the airport and the ring road around Ibiza Town, were closed due to the flooding.
AEMET reported that 74 millimetres of rain fell near the airport within a few hours, leading to power outages and fallen trees, which exacerbated the situation. The Balearic island of Mallorca also experienced flooding, with reports indicating that the northern part of the Tramuntana mountains was particularly affected.
On Monday, the Valencia region contended with hail, wind, and heavy rainfall, raising concerns of another disaster in a region still recovering from the devastating storm of October 29, 2024, which claimed almost 230 lives.