Majorca floods: Which parts are affected and should I cancel my trip?

The flash floods that claimed the lives of at least eight people in Majorca struck the town best known for its proximity to the once-secret location of the Love Island villa.

Witnesses described “biblical” scenes as the rivers, or torrents, around the town of Sant Llorenc des Cardassar burst their banks after heavy rain, spilling huge volumes of water through the streets.

Two of the dead were believed to be British, while up to 20 people are still reported missing.

Where is Sant Llorenc des Cardassar and is it popular with tourists?

The small town is about five miles from the east coast of the Spanish island and close to the site where reality TV show Love Island has been filmed for the last two seasons. It is not known if the villa has suffered any damage. 

The area is home to a number of villas and fincas, many with pools, set amongst a backdrop of rolling green hills, but is otherwise quiet.

Those whose homes in Sant Llorenc were affected by the floods sought shelter in a sports centre in the nearby town of Manacor.

The area is not among the regions of the island most popular with tourists, which are to the west near Palma, as well as the north at Port de Pollenca, though can be a stomping ground for keen cyclists who use the north of the island as a base, especially in the autumn.

Cala Millor and Cala Bona, the coastal resorts closest to Sant Llorenc, are sleepy, shipping villages home to a number of hotels and resorts, with a patchwork of sandy beaches offering access to the Med.

A British tourist in Porto Cristo, to the south of Cala Millor, on the coast, posted a photo on Twitter showing “serious flooding” in the town’s harbour. A video posted by Joanna Gillett showed water rushing into the sea through flooded streets.

She said: “The effluent from the drains is going straight into the harbour and is going out ot the Med. I wouldn’t go on the beach tomorrow.”

In Colonia de Sant Pere, too, to the north, it was reported that several cars were dragged into the sea amid heavy flooding. 

Has there been any disruption in the area?

Roads in the centre of Sant Llorenc have been closed while emergency workers and the military search for survivors. The Balearic government met on Wednesday morning met to discuss plans to clear up the town.

The Foreign Office (FCO) updated its advice to Majorca on Wednesday, stating that flash floods has caused "significant disruption and some road closures". 

"You should follow the advice of local authorities," the FCO said. 

A yellow warning risk has been issued for heavy rain and storms in the area on Wednesday, but will be lifted for Thursday with a dry day expected.

The island’s main roads are all otherwise clear, and flights to and from Palma are operating as usual.

Can I cancel my holiday?

Not without penalty, as little of the island has been affected and the weather should clear by the end of Wednesday. The Foreign Office has not advised against travel to the island.

But if your trip has been dramatically altered by the flooding in Sant Llorenc then talk to your tour operator, which is contractually obliged to provide suitable alternative arrangements or offer a refund.

If you simply want to cancel your trip out of choice, it is unlikely you will be entitled to a refund.

If you have booked accommodation independently and it has been impacted by the flooding, it is best to contact the villa or hotel directly to discuss your options.

Does it flood often in Majorca and what is the weather forecast?

The popular Spanish island was in the news earlier in the summer when it, alongside with Menorca, was hit by a “mini tsunami”, which caused damage to some seaside resorts.

The tsunami that brought five-foot waves to the beaches of the west coast of Menorca as well as parts of neighbouring Majorca was defined as a meteotsunami - or a rissaga in Catalan Spanish. Similar occurrences happened in the region in 1984 and 2006, but are rare.

The weather forecast for Majorca over the coming week is mainly sunny with some showers into the weekend, and temperatures in the mid to late twenties.