Fresh Flooding Disrupts Air and Road Travel on Spain’s Ibiza

Flooding caused major disruption on the popular Spanish holiday island of Ibiza for the second time in two weeks on Saturday, as torrential rain continued to lash Spain’s Mediterranean region.

Ibiza, renowned for its pristine beaches and vibrant nightlife, saw its main motorway to the airport closed, while social media footage showed rainwater seeping into the terminal. Public transport was briefly halted across the island.

All operations at Ibiza Airport were suspended for over an hour while the runway was cleared. According to the airport operator Aena, 24 of 295 flights were cancelled.

Vehicles struggled to navigate murky floodwaters in Ibiza and neighbouring Formentera, amid dark skies, thunder, and lightning. Social media videos showed some drivers requiring rescue assistance.

Reinforcements from the Spanish army’s emergencies unit were dispatched from the mainland to assist with water pumping operations.

Authorities across Ibiza, Formentera, and Mallorca issued mass telephone alerts urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel and waterways.

A lightning strike in Formentera left 576 users without electricity after hitting an electrical cable. Around 300 additional users were affected across Menorca, Ibiza, and Mallorca, according to the Balearic regional government.

In the eastern Valencia region, authorities warned of further intense rain and localised storms from 8:00 pm (18:00 GMT). Since the start of the weather warning earlier this week, 571 incidents had already been reported.

In the town of Carcaixent, the storm dumped 110 litres per square metre of rain in just one hour, rapidly flooding streets, according to regional weather monitor Avamet.

Late September saw heavy downpours that caused localised flooding, forcing the closure of beaches and schools in both Ibiza and Valencia. These events revived memories of last year’s floods, which claimed more than 200 lives.

Experts note that a hotter atmosphere holds more water evaporating from the rapidly warming Mediterranean Sea, increasing the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall events in the region.

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