Ibiza has broken a weather record that had been in place for more than two decades. Last Sunday, October 18, Storm Adam dropped a total of 173.8 liters per square meter in 24 hours at the Ibiza airport weather station, the highest figure on record for this location since at least 1944, according to confirmation from the National Meteorological Agency (AEMET).
The figure far exceeds the previous record, set on September 17, 2005, when 156.5 liters per square meter were recorded. The new record adds 17.3 liters to that figure, representing an increase of approximately 11 percent and confirming the exceptional intensity of the rainfall that has affected the Pitiuses.
The storm was not limited to Ibiza. Formentera was another of the areas most affected by the cold front, with precipitation figures that even surpassed those recorded at Ibiza airport. The Formentera-Can Xumeu weather station, with data provided by AEMET collaborator Vicenç Roig Torres, recorded 195 liters per square meter in a 24-hour period.
According to the AEMET precipitation report for the 24 hours ending at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, Ibiza and Formentera recorded the highest precipitation totals in the Balearic Islands, with figures reaching 175 liters per square meter in several points of the Pitiüs archipelago.
In Ibiza, the differences between municipalities reflect the extent of the event. Santa Eulària des Riu recorded 125 liters per square meter, while Sant Joan de Labritja reached 106. Sant Josep de sa Talaia recorded the lowest total among the municipalities mentioned, with 76 liters per square meter.
The joint committee in Formentera is already up and running.
Meanwhile, the maternity ward at Formentera Hospital will remain open and continue providing obstetric care, following an assessment of the situation resulting from the heavy rains recorded on the island. As the Pitiüses Health Authority has noted, it was announced on Monday that, due to the effects of the storm, the labor and delivery room’s activities would be temporarily restricted to handling urgent and emergency cases.
However, after an assessment of the situation, it has been determined that the maternity ward can continue its normal operations, which means that all births can continue to be attended to at the Hospital of Formentera. In recent hours, no births have needed to be transferred. The Health Authority has announced that it will continue to monitor the situation and take the necessary measures to safeguard the safety of patients and staff and ensure the proper provision of health services.
Floods, traffic disruptions, and emergency alerts
Heavy rains have caused incidents in various areas of Ibiza and Formentera. The rain has caused flooding, fallen trees, and traffic problems, making travel difficult and forcing emergency services to intervene in several areas.
The severity of the situation led Civil Protection to send a new alert to mobile phones in Ibiza through the ES-Alert system around 10:00 AM on Monday, due to the risk associated with the heavy rains. The airport’s record figures illustrate the scope of Storm Adam, but data from the Pitiüses Islands show that the event has had a broader geographic impact. While Ibiza has recorded its highest 24-hour precipitation on record at this station, Formentera has recorded even higher accumulated totals in some areas.
Adam enters the home stretch, although the rain will continue in the Balearic Islands.
The torrential rain associated with weather system Adam is entering its final phase, although the Balearic Islands will continue to experience stormy weather throughout the day. According to forecasts by Meteored meteorologist José Miguel Viñas, the rain and storms will continue through the morning and will gradually subside in the afternoon in Menorca. Most of the weather warnings for rain and storms will be lifted at noon, although the alert will remain active in Menorca until 6:00 PM due to the possibility of 30 liters per square meter per hour.
Looking ahead to the coming days, the forecast points to a change in conditions, with the return of stable weather and no forecast for showers or storms in the Mediterranean or in much of Spain. This would mark the end of an episode that has left Ibiza with record rainfall in 24 hours and once again highlights the intensity that extreme weather phenomena can reach in the archipelago.
