Juliette whips up a storm

MALLORCA is reeling this week under the effects of Storm Juliette, a whirlwind of snow, wind and rain that has broken all records and left a trail of destruction in its wake.

The most visible and spectacular effect was the opening of an eight­metre sinkhole on the main Avenidas avenue through the centre of Palma, causing traffic chaos and exposing the remains of the ancient 16th century wall that used to enclose the city.

As council workers rushed to cordon off the gaping hole, another two smaller sinkholes appeared ­ one opposite the El Corte Inglés department store, also on the Avenidas, and a third on the Paseo Maritimo in front of Pacha discotheque.

The council is currently investigating the causes of the Avenidas collapse, which is thought may have been caused by a leaking underground pipe, and confirmed that it will take at least a week to repair.

Elsewhere on the island, the authorities urged drivers to refrain from using their vehicles as much as possible due to severe traffic problems and tailbacks in Manacor and Felanitx, as 13 towns suffered power cuts and the northern and Llevant parts of the island registered up to 200 litres of rainfall per square metre in just two days.

Roads through the Tramuntana mountains were closed off due to falling trees and up to four metres of snow in some parts ­ the highest snowfall since 1985 ­ while 25­foot waves crashed into the coast and temperatures sat below zero in many areas, with fierce gusts of wind hitting up to 105 kilometres per hour in Capdepera. At the time of going to press, a slight improvement of conditions was predicted for yesterday (Wednesday), just