What’s with the weather around Europe this January? Snow has fallen in areas that rarely see the white stuff and, as I write, the UK Government has issued 137 flood warnings (flooding expected), one severe flood warning (danger to life), and 120 flood alerts (be prepared) for England.

Meanwhile in Mallorca

Mallorca’s weather seems to have been colder than usual for January. And today we had one of those weather events that stick in the memory. A meeting of storms over the area – including Storm Hortense – caused chaos. As we drove home from Manacor mid-morning, rain lashed horizontally across the road and hurricane-force winds battered everything in sight.

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We arrived home and found one of our almond trees broken. Its leafless canopy landed in our lemon tree, which it damaged. A tall yucca tree in a large pot at the front of the house also snapped, and some smaller plant pots smashed as the fierce winds swept through. It’s not the first time we’ve suffered storm damage – and won’t be the last.

From Minor to Major

Our damage was minor compared to the 228 incidents reported by 3pm today to the emergency services. In parts of Mallorca, wind speeds reached 144 kilometres/hour. Numerous trees have fallen – some blocking roads, there’s been considerable structural damage to buildings, cars, and boats. Insurance companies will be busy for a while, dealing with claims.

It’s the perfect weather to stay at home, safe from the storms and from Covid. Spare a thought for those who won’t be able to – because they’ll be clearing up the considerable damage. There is always someone worse off than ourselves.

Have a safe weekend, wherever you are.

Jan Edwards Copyright 2021