Tourists hoping for a weekend of sun in Spain and the Balearic Islands will be left sorely disappointed as heavy rain and hail is set batter the holiday destination.
A Status Orange storm warning has been issued for large swathes of the country, with thunderstorms predicted in the northern regions, including Barcelona and Madrid.
Popular hotspots across Catalonia, Andalusia, Castile and Valencia have been hit with storm alerts throughout Thursday afternoon and Friday, with forecasters warning of the possibility of snow in higher areas.
AEMET, the state weather agency, has warned that there is a possibility that the conditions will be “accompanied by hail”, with poor weather set to continue throughout the weekend.
It is in stark comparison to the warm and sunny weather expected in the UK on Saturday, with temperatures set to reach 21 degrees in London and highs of 20 degrees in the Scottish Highlands.
The poor weather is being caused by a low-pressure system moving in from the Atlantic, as well as a cold air mass that is making its way across the Iberian Peninsula.
Despite the balmy temperatures usually expected this time of year in Majorca and Menorca, holidaymakers can only expect highs of 20 degrees, with heavy rain, thunderstorms and cloudy conditions running until next Wednesday.
Beach days in Alcudia or cocktails in Palma may require the extra assistance of an umbrella, while the Canary Islands have also been unable to escape the onslaught of bad weather to hit the Mediterranean.
Despite warmer conditions in Tenerife, the island is set to see heavy rainfall over Friday night and through until the weekend, with highs of 22 degrees.
In a post on social media, the forecaster wrote: “Thursday marked by storms. Attention, they will be strong in areas of Galicia and the centre and east of the Peninsula. They may be accompanied by hail.
“In parts of the interior of the Valencian Community, they could be very strong, adn the alert is orange (significant danger).”
Meanwhile, the UK will see “classic” spring weather over the coming days, with temperatures of up to 26C and patches of frost overnight, forecasters have said.
Conditions from Thursday through to Saturday are expected to be broadly similar, with dry weather and sunny spells forecast across the country, according to the Met Office.
It comes as a power outage hit several areas of the Spanish island of La Palma in the Canary archipelago on Thursday, the local council said in a post on the social media platform X.
Early reports suggested that a third of La Palma had been left without electricity, impacting around 30,000 people. The council urged everyone to remain calm and avoid overwhelming emergency services.
La Radio Canaria reports that power has since been fully restored.
The island was not affected by the massive blackout that hit most of Spain and Portugal on April 28.
