Torrential rain struck Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) leaving the runway flooded and the terminal damaged as water gushed through the building’s ceiling.
Downpours began at the airport in the afternoon on June 11, 2024, where 5cm (2in) of water fell per hour, peaking at up to 9cm (3.5in), according to Sky News.
Video footage of stationary aircraft standing in a sea of water was shared widely on social media as flight operations were temporarily cancelled.
Video also emerged of rain pouring through the airport roof and one of the site’s duty-free hallways severely damaged.
On June 13, 2024, the air navigation manager in Spain, ENAIRE, issued further warnings for adverse weather with storms and strong winds predicted over the next few hours citing a statement by the Spanish weather agency AEMET.
#ÚLTIMAHORA #AMPLIACIÓ Son Santjoan recupera la normalitat a poc a poc després que ahir es visqueren moments de caos pel fort aiguat que va obligar a suspendre l'operativitat en el 3r aeroport de més trànsit d'Espanya. Va 'ploure' també dins la terminal
— IB3 Notícies (@IB3noticies) June 12, 2024
➡️https://t.co/SNzEUjLU2F pic.twitter.com/3qf3X3sGbe
“Locally strong showers and storms in the north of Catalonia, central east and southeast of the peninsula, southeast of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, locally accompanied by hail,” AEMET wrote on its website.
The agency added: “An unstable situation is expected to continue in the eastern third of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, with abundant cloudiness and showers accompanied by storms, mainly associated with the diurnal cycle.”
En palma pic.twitter.com/63aIn1hwGc
— MrR (@MrRTSZ) June 11, 2024
In reality, flight operations at Palma de Mallorca Airport only stopped for around 20 minutes on June 11, 2024, after flood water drained away from the taxiways and runway fairly rapidly.
#Palma pic.twitter.com/Q4QM9Dd4Nk
— 😉Controladores Aéreos 🇪🇸 (@controladores) June 11, 2024
Around 100 of the 900 flights scheduled for the day were diverted or cancelled.
“Palma de Mallorca Airport has reactivated its operations after the storm. The first takeoffs and landings have already begun, and it is expected that the diverted flights will land during the afternoon at Palma airport. The Airport continues working to normalize operations,” the airport’s management company Aena said in a statement.