Mallorca could face heavy rain, strong winds and a sharp drop in temperatures this weekend as a weather system forming over France threatens to bring an end to the island’s spell of settled weather.
Jorge Rodríguez, deputy spokesperson for the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) in the Balearic Islands, says the latest forecasts point to heavy or very heavy rainfall and strong gusts of wind on Sunday, October 18, potentially triggering several weather alerts. “At Aemet, we are monitoring the situation very closely,” he says, although he warns that forecasts remain uncertain and could change in the coming days.
The forecast deterioration is linked to an isolated high-altitude depression, known as a DANA, expected to develop over France, alongside an associated trough. If current predictions are confirmed, daytime temperatures on Sunday will fall by around 5C, with maximums of just 19C to 21C.
The temperature drop will come after several days of unseasonably warm weather, with highs expected to reach between 24C and 28C until Friday, compared with the seasonal average of 23.5C. A second, less intense DANA is also expected to form over the Gulf of Cádiz this weekend and could affect Mallorca if the French system has less impact than currently forecast.
Until Friday, Mallorca is expected to enjoy largely settled conditions, with little rainfall. Some light, occasional showers are possible on Wednesday and Friday, but they are not expected to be significant.
Meteorologists are continuing to monitor developments closely as the weekend approaches, with Sunday currently presenting the greatest risk of unsettled weather. Aemet stresses that the forecast remains subject to change as the weather models are updated.