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The island of Majorca together with the other smaller Balearic Islands is subject to severe thunderstorm activity that produces flash flooding, tornadoes and hail damage.
The majority of the tourists visit during the months of June through to September since this is the hottest and normally driest time of the year.
Although the month of September is the beginning of the stormy weather.
The main point here is that the weather in Majorca can be particularly severe during certain months. This is explained in detail for you below:
If you want to quickly find out what the general weather in Majorca is like during the high season, then you can click on the highlighted link.
Flash floods in Majorca
Flash floods due to heavy rain can occur in Majorca any time from September through to December, with occasional flooding episodes occurring during winter and spring. The heaviest rain that leads to localised flooding occurs in October since thunderstorm activity reaches a maximum during this month.
The highland regions of Majorca, in particular the mountainous terrain along the northern coastline acts as a natural barrier to the warm and humid air coming off the Mediterranean Sea. This fact, together with the arrival of early-autumn cold fronts leads to localised heavy rain over this region of Majorca and consequently flash flooding.
Nearly every year, the Sierra de Tramuntana (the highest mountain range in Majorca) receives more than 100mm (25 inches) of rain over a period of a few hours during one of these thunderstorms.
In fact, you may be interested to know that this occurred on the 5-6th October 2008 as shown on the youtube video. This region of Majorca frequently has localised flooding events since the steep mountain ranges channel the flood water through the highland valleys towards the coastline.
These flood waters don't follow a set route to the coast since most of the streams in Majorca are ephemeral. The main flood danger zones are within the Albuferan basin which is located over the inland parts of north eastern Majorca. The main flood waters empty just south of Port d'Alcúdia.
There are times when the flood waters spread from Port de Pollenca to Port d'Alcúdia which is particularly worrisome since this region is utilised heavily by tourists. You should take careful note of the location of your intended accommodation to make sure that you're not going to be staying in a flood zone.
Another region that experiences flooding, though to a lesser extent, is the capital city of Majorca, Palma de Mallorca. Although the flooding around the capital is not as severe as the north eastern side of Majorca. Other regions to the north of Palma de Mallorca such as Port d'Andratx are occasionally subject to flooding.
Just be aware that you may not even realise that flood waters are approaching your location since it doesn't have to rain where you are to become flooded. A very localised storm over the mountains that produces torrential rain may be all that is needed to initiate flash flooding downstream. Generally, flash flooding along the coastline typically occurs 3-4 hours after a heavy rain event in the mountains.
Whatever you do, never ever go camping in an empty stream on Majorca since you won't have enough time to pack up and escape if flood waters do hit.
Hailstorm weather in Majorca
Hailstorms are relatively common in Majorca during early spring (March and April) and more so in late autumn to early winter (November and December). The majority of these storm hit after about 3pm local time and can cause extensive damage to cars.
You must realise that heavy rain is much more common than hail, so don't panic if you must travel during the hailstorm period.
The quickest way to determine if a thunderstorm will produce hail is to look for a greenish colour beneath the darkest part of the cloud. The greener the cloud appears the more hail it will produce.
Nearly all parts of Majorca receive hailstorms, although they are normally more severe over the inland and southern parts of the island. So if you're hiring a car make sure that you get insured since you don't want to pay for any smashed windows and dinted panels.
Hailstorms is normally a precusor to tornado formation so just beware that if you're in a region that is experiencing hail then it's possible you may see a funnel cloud in the area as well.
Tornadoes in Majorca
Tornadoes are not exclusive to the United States but do affect other regions of the world. Majorca and the surrounding Balearic Islands frequently experience tornadic activity from September to October. You may have been told by people that tornadoes never occur on Majorca but don't believe them.
On Majorca, tornadoes typically occur only over the southern and central parts of the island including the coastal areas since tornadoes need to form over flat terrain. Only about 30% of the tornadoes are known to be strong (windspeed between 113-180km/hr) and the rest of them are relatively weak. Although even the weakest tornadoes can cause considerable damage since the windspeed from these ranges between 80-112km/hr.
The Balearic Islands has around 5-6 tornadoes every year. In fact, from 1989-1999, 27 tornadoes and 54 waterspouts were recorded throughout the Balearic Islands.
Waterspouts are quite common close to the Palma de Mallorca.
Temperatures across Majorca
Even though Majorca is a relatively small island, you should be aware that the temperature can fluctuate greatly across the island.
During the day, the highest temperatures are recorded over the inland parts of south western region of Majorca.
The lowest temperatures are found near the higher parts of the Tramuntana ranges in northern Majorca.
In fact, it does snow in Majorca in the higher parts of the Tramuntana mountains during the winter. For this reason, the temperatures can sometimes drop to -6°C in the mountains during the winter. Of course, the main reason you're visiting Majorca is to get away from the cold so I wouldn't be planning to visit the highland areas in the winter.
Most coastal areas of Majorca are subject to frequent sea breezes during the warmer months of the year. For this region, the coastal regions tend to have a higher minimum overnight temperature and a lower daytime maximum temperature than most inland parts of Majorca.
The inland parts of Majorca are up to 3-4°C cooler at night and about the same degrees warmer by day than the coastal regions.
Here's another important fact you should know: Remember that the temperature decreases at a rate of around 0.6°C for every 100 metre in altitude in this relatively moist atmosphere regardless of the season.
The table below will provide you with a guide to what temperatures and rainfall you can expect in Palma de Mallorca in each month. The information in the table below cannot be used to provide climatological information in other parts of Majorca.
| Month | Rainfall (mm) | Temperature | What should you wear | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Minimum (°C)| Maximum (°C) | | |||
The most expensive time to visit Majorca is from June through to September since the tourism industry realises that the summer months have the most tourists. For this reason I've provided you with detailed information about the weather in Majorca for each month from June to September below.
What's the weather like in Summer?
The weather in Majorca during the summer is generally very warm and sunny along the coastal areas.
You can expect strong afternoon sea breezes occur along each part Majorca's coast except along the far north western coastline.
There should be no sea breezes when hot winds blow in from the Sahara desert since these winds prevent a sea breeze forming.
The weather in Majorca is very windy during the summer months along the coast after 1pm so you are advised that if you want to do some snorkelling or swimming, you should do it in the morning.
The inland regions of Majorca can be cloudy from around 1pm to about 5pm but this cloud will clear as the sunsets.
You may receive a light shower of rain during the afternoon over the mountainous regions. Generally summer is the driest time of year.
Weather in Majorca for June
The weather in Majorca during June is fantastic for outdoor activities and for that reason June is packed with tourists. If you plan to visit during June then you'll see plenty of sunshine and very warm days both on the coast and in most inland areas.
If you're going to the beach then the best time to go is in the morning before it gets too windy. In the afternoons, the wind will blow quite strong after 1pm along the coast. The windiest places on Majorca during June occurs around the Bay of Palma (which is right near the islands capital) and around the Bay of Alcudia on the north east coast.
The maximum daytime temperatures will be around 26°C along the coast during the first week of June. But by the end of June, the daytime temperature should be hovering around 28°C along the coastal areas. You need to add another 3°C to the daytime maximum temperatures if you're planning to visit the inland regions. The mountainous areas will be considerable cooler depending upon your altitude.
The warmest part of the day in areas close to the beach will occur before 1pm so that's another reason to go swimming in the surf during mid-late morning. After 1pm, the seabreeze kicks in and cools things down.
Weather in Majorca for July
The weather in Majorca during July can get quite hot at times over the coast and more so over the inland areas. You'll need to wear some sunscreen or some type of protective clothing so you don't get burnt in the sun.
During July, there maybe a few days when there's no seabreeze at all and consequently heatwave conditions will occur. During this time, temperatures may rise up to 35-36°C. Just beware that such hot conditions brings in air laden with dust. This dust comes from the Sahara desert in North Africa. Thankfully the dusty conditions and consequently the cooler daytime temperatures (31°C) will return after 2-3 days.
July is also Majorca's driest month and so you will experience a sunny day almost every day. There may be some clouds forming over the inland areas but these will disappear near sunset.
Like June, if you want to enjoy your time at the beach without the strong winds go there before 1pm.
Weather in Majorca for August
If you are planning to arrive in Majorca in August this is the month with the hottest weather.
Average daytime temperatures along the coast will be 31°C, and further inland 34°C. Overnight temperatures won't drop below 18°C along the coast but it may drop down to about 16°C over inland areas.
The weather in Majorca in August is often identical to the weather you get in July although there's a higher chance of some rain. It's quite common to see an afternoon shower on one or two days during the last week of August.
The humidity can be quite uncomfortable during August so if you're arriving from the UK then you may quite shocked when you get off the plane and are greeted by a wall of hot, sultry air. Since you came to Majorca looking to have a great holiday, then you need to plan ahead and be prepared for the very hot, humid conditions.
Make sure you cover up during the day since you'll get sunburnt fairly quickly. If you arrive at the beach after 1pm, expect that the waves will be choppy and quite dangerous since the winds will be strong. The best time to go to the beach isduring the morning in August.
Weather in Majorca for the first month of autumn
The weather in Majorca during September is still very warm since the sea temperatures are very high at this time of year. When the wind blows in from off the coast of Majorca, the air becomes very humid. Daytime temperatures will still be near 30°C by day during the first week of September will gradually decrease to a maximum daytime temperature of 26°C near the end of September.
September is the start of the storm season but most of these storms won't be a nuisance until mid-to-late September. The storms that occur late in the month of September are often accompanied by frequent lightning and possibly some hail.
Very heavy rain associated with thunderstorm activity will occur during the afternoons near the end of September. However, on such days, the morning will start out clear and sunny. Winds will be light in the morning but this will change once the sea breeze passes through.
You should still see a lot of sunshine in September but just beware that thunderstorms can form suddenly after 2pm in the latter half of September.
- Ramis C, Jansà A and Alonso S. Sea Breeze in Mallorca. A Numerical Study. Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics. 1990;42(3-4):249-258.
- Kent M, Newnham R and Essex S. Tourism and sustainable water supply in Mallorca: a geographical analysis. Applied Geography. 2002;22(4):351-374.
- Romero R, Guijarro JA, Ramis C and Alonso S. A 30-year (1964-1993) daily rainfall data base for the Spanish mediterranean regions: first exploratory study. International Journal of Climatology. 1998;18(5):541-560.
- Amengual A, Romero R and Alonso S. Hydrometeorological ensemble simulations of flood events over a small basi of Majorca Island, Spain. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 2008;134(634):1221-1242.
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