Majorca 'stay inside' warning as deadly storms head towards Spanish holiday islands

The catastrophic flash floods that killed at least 158 people in eastern Spain were one of the three most intense such storms in the last century in the Valencia region

The devastating storms which claimed many lives in Valencia are now moving towards Majorca.

The devastating flash floods that claimed the lives of at least 158 people in eastern Spain have been ranked among the three most severe storms to hit the Valencia region in the past century. The death toll rose dramatically on Wednesday, with over 90 fatalities reported in the wake of the heavy rainfall and flooding that impacted areas as far south as Malaga.

According to Spain's meteorological agency, AEMET, some parts of the province saw more than 300 millimetres (12 inches) of rain, while the town of Chiva was deluged with nearly 500 millimetres in just eight hours. The storm is now making its way towards southern Spain and the popular holiday hotspot of the Balearic Islands, including Majorca.

In anticipation of the storm, Palma city council has implemented measures to safeguard the public from Friday until next Monday. Javier Bonet, Palma's first deputy mayor, announced on Thursday, as per the Majorca Daily Bulletin: "We are going to take the measure of closing the cemeteries from 14.00 hours this Friday until next Monday. We ask that this celebration be held next week and we will set up a special timetable from 8 am to 9 pm from Monday to Sunday so that it can be held safely".

In Spain, All Saint's Day, or "Día de Todos los Santos", is observed annually on November 1 as a day of remembrance for deceased loved ones. Additionally, the parks and gardens in Passeig Sagrera, Bosque de Bellver, Son Tarres park (Son Parera) and Ses Vies park will also be closed from 2pm.

Bonet has urged the public to avoid all non-essential travel, particularly through tree-lined streets, in order to minimise risks. He also advised residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, following safety guidelines such as closing doors and windows, staying in upper areas of homes and avoiding lower areas like storerooms, basements or garages, reports the Express.

The council will be evacuating all homeless individuals from settlements near torrents or flood zones, providing them with temporary accommodation while the alert is active. In flood-prone areas of Palma (Son Rossinyol, Sa Riera and Torrent des Rafal area), local police and social services units will encourage residents to evacuate and seek refuge in a safe location.

These measures will be implemented from 2pm on Friday and will remain in place throughout the weekend, until November 4. A press conference was held by the council's first deputy mayor, Eder García, head of the Palma Fire Brigade, Guiem Mascaró, head of the Palma Local Police and Miquel Busquets, councillor for Security, after participating in the City Council's Civil Protection commission to discuss preventive measures for the adverse weather conditions forecast for November 1.

The council has also bolstered its emergency response teams, increasing the number of firefighters, local police, Civil Protection and 20 Emaya (municipal cleaning, sewage) brigades. "We are not on red alert. But it is essential to warn the population to avoid greater risks".