Rain in Spain

 I know what you’re thinking, typical topic for an English girl! But the one thing that I was not worried about when coming to Ibiza was the weather. They say that out of the 365 days in a year, 300 of them are sunny on the island. I love warm weather so couldn’t wait to spend a year soaking up the Spanish sunshine; blue skies always boost my mood.

However, since arriving here, it has been much more unsettled than expected. The air has been close and humid but it has often been overcast, the sun struggling to break through. The clouds have also brought rain with them. After having no rain all summer, this is clearly a turning point as these past few days have been pretty wet; bringing much needed water for the parched island. However, when it rains here, it really rains. I’m used to light showers back home but have seen some terrifying storms here!

Last week, I got caught in a big one. The sky went completely black and then came the biggest downpour I’ve ever experienced. I’m talking tropical rain, like what you would expect in the Amazon. I had no idea that the weather could be like that in Europe! After deciding to shelter inside a shop, I watched the storm take its toll. Rain hammered down, accompanied by thunder, lightening and a strong wind. In the space of half an hour, the streets had turned to rivers. Everyone was forced to stop what they were doing and watch the water stream through the city. Shops had to close their doors to stop the current coming inside. After the the worst was over, I literally had to wade through the water, which came half way up my calves. Luckily I was wearing shorts but still got completely soaked, my shoes especially!

After managing to get back, I expected the storm to be all over the news and the city in total panic. However, an hour after the rain had stopped, the majority of the water had drained away and life was back to normal again! Clearly these big storms happen at this time of year. I know now that an umbrella is more necessary here than expected!