Emergency services are on high alert across the Balearic Islands after severe flooding caused road closures and flight cancellations. 

The islands have seen intense rainfall, with Majorca and Menorca amongst the worst affected.

In Menorca, the Civil Guard were deployed to rescue 16 people trapped in their homes whilst the centre of the island was declared a ‘disaster zone’ by the Spanish government.

Such was the ferocity of the storms that 77 emergency operations were conducted by emergency services over the weekend across Majorca.

The area of Porto Cristo was amongst some of the worst affected, with the port flooding and boats moored in the harbour being dragged onto land.

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has warned that the danger has not yet passed, with heavy showers and thunderstorms still possible over the coming days.

The storms, which have blighted the area for a week, have caused travel disruption for hundreds as Spanish Air Traffic Control (ATC) stopped planes from landing on the island on Saturday.

During a previous storm this summer, travel operator Ryanair became embroiled in a bitter war of words with Spanish ATC after they refused to allow planes to land at the airport.

In a statement Ryanair said: “Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today apologised to its passengers for the excessive delays and cancellations at Palma de Mallorca following the nonsensical decision by Spanish Air Traffic Control (ATC) to block inbound aircraft from landing this morning due to ‘weather’.

Ryanair’s Chief Ops Officer, Neal McMahon went as far as suggesting that  Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission should intervene to prevent them from being able to do so.

Spanish authorities hit back calling the criticism “unacceptable” and defending the decision as being based on “public safety reasons.”

Storms are expected to continue to hit the islands for the rest of the week, although it is hoped that the area has seen the worst of the poor weather.