Winter storm batters Spain’s Majorca island, create huge sinkholes in Palma

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – The Spanish island of Majorca is being hammered by a winter storm on Tuesday, which is bringing strong winds, heavy precipitation, freezing temperatures, and dangerous waves.

The torrential downpours gave rise to two significant sinkholes in the region’s capital, La Palma de Mallorca. Both were caused by the pressure from the heavy rain that caused pipes to burst.

The biggest sinkhole is 8 meters (26 feet) wide and appeared on a key traffic street downtown, shutting off three lanes of traffic. Local officials said they will not be able to repair it in fewer than seven days.

Another sinkhole emerged on a street in front of the La Palma port. Meanwhile, local daily Diario de Mallorca said traffic was halted on another central street after authorities detected suspicious movement.

According to Spanish meteorological agency Aemet, the island has seen as much as 180 liters of rain per square meter, record-breaking snow, and winds as strong as 122 kilometers (75 miles) per hour.

Some rivers have burst their banks, but no one has been reported injured so far.

More than 56 people remain trapped in the island’s mountains, where fallen trees and copious amounts of snow have made it inaccessible for rescue missions.

The region’s emergency services have asked Spain’s military to help with the rescues.

The storm, named Juliette, is also bringing icy temperatures across the Iberian Peninsula, with temperatures dropping below -15 degrees Celsius (5 Fahrenheit) in mountainous areas.

While Juliette is forecast to let up in Majorca by Wednesday, Aemet said it will bring heavy snow and freezing temperatures, mainly to the northern half of Spain.