Washing machines knock out Palma’s power

The electric storm on Sunday evening that affected much of Palma had experts rushing around trying to offer us some context for the release of energy by the lightning. Equivalent to that of 21,600 washing machines, observed a body known as Asinem, the association of installers in the Balearics. There was something about 281,000 amps as well, none of it in fact offering real context. It wasn't as if 21,600 washing machines had been hurtling around in the sky, though a fair number would have been knocked out of action along with all the traffic lights that packed up.

But we all love a weather story of course, and there is greater love if it is Palma weather because similar events elsewhere will tend not to cause the same chaos, not have the same number of people alarmed by such an intense weather phenomenon, and therefore not invite the same degree of media interest.

The late-April weather was meanwhile doing its best to drown holidaymakers. Attempting to anyway. On Monday, there were supposedly going to be 20 litres of rain (per square metre) over the course of one hour to wash tourists and indeed residents away. Twenty litres. Gosh! Well no, as twenty litres per square metre in an hour are standard enough for a met agency yellow weather alert. And what happened? There were 20 litres - 23.1 to be accurate - over a longer period than one hour on the Serra Alfabia in Bunyola. Otherwise, there weren't 20 litres. Wouldn't you just know it. Two consecutive days with yellow warnings for rain and it didn't amount to very much. Then when there wasn't an alert - overnight Tuesday - there was a deluge in the east of the island; 37.4 litres per square metre in Son Servera.