Chaos in Spain as flights delayed and airport leaking after severe downpours | Travel News | Travel

Passengers have faced major delays in Spain due to a storm that swept through Majorca on Tuesday morning. Most arrivals at Palma de Mallorca Airport were impacted according to the Spanish airport authority, Aena, although no cancellations were necessary.

Some check-in and boarding areas have also had to be closed due to water leaking through the roof, and other areas have had to be cordoned off due to the water. In the Son Sant Joan departure zone, which is currently closed for renovation, buckets have had to be put in place to catch water dripping from the upper floor. Sources confirmed Palma de Mallorca Airport had to implement traffic control measures due to a cumulonimbus cloud, a dense cloud capable of producing extreme weather, including heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and even hail or snow.

The towering vertical clouds are typically formed from condensed water vapour that has been carried upwards by powerful air currents, and ice can often form at the top of the clouds.

Airport workers and cleaning staff have reportedly been working since the early hours of the morning to place buckets under the leaks and clean the floors to prevent accidents. 

Spain’s weather agency, AEMET, forecast that rain will persist on the island, with concentrated heavy downpours and storms, although it predicts the weather will clear in the afternoon. 

Winds are forecast to remain light to moderate, with coastal breezes in the afternoon. 

Spain has been impacted by severe weather for a couple of days, with AEMET having put yellow weather warnings in place for May 5, including Catalonia. Aena alerted passengers to take caution on X yesterday. 

On May 4, Barcelona was also experiencing extreme weather at Josep Tarradellas Airport. Aena posted on X: “If you are flying, we recommend that you check the status of your flight with your airline.”