Barcelona hit by snow as 16 inches falls on Majorca

Barcelona hit by snow as Majorca issues rare winter weather red alertPopular Balearic island tipped to see 16 inches of snow fall in the northern Serra de Tramuntana mountains Snow covers the Tibidabo amusement park in BarcelonaAP

Parts of Barcelona were blanketed in snow after a storm brought unusally cold temperatures to Spanish holiday resorts.

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Temperatures in the Catalan capital plunged to below freezing as around 7cm of snow fell overnight. Snow also fell on Mallorca.

Several regions of Spain are under an alert for snow and cold weather due to Storm Juliette.

Usual average temperatures in Barcelona in February are between 8C and 15C.

Snow covers the Serra de Tramuntana mountains in MallorcaREUTERS

The usually warm Balearic island of Mallorca was hit by storms, leading officials to issue a rare red alert for 16 inches of snow predicted to fall on Monday night and into Tuesday in the northern Serra de Tramuntana mountains.

The conditions have led to road closures, while many residents have huddled from the cold snap indoors.

Those who ventured out wore thick coats - and some even seized the rare chance for a snowball fight.

At this time of year, parks and gardens are normally filled with almond blossom - but towns across Mallorca, including Valldemossa and Lluc, are blanketed in snow and temperatures have plummeted to -2C. The island normally enjoys average daytime highs of 15C at this time of the year.

The storms have also brought 50mph winds and huge waves. Meanwhile, temperatures dipped as low as -18.6C in Lleida, Catalonia.

It comes after parts of Ibiza were blanketed in snow during an unusual cold snap last month.