Over 300 rallies back Ceuta, Palma joins at 8pm today

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• More than 300 solidarity gatherings were held across Spain on 2 September 2026 in support of Ceuta, backed by over 260 municipalities.
• Palma took part with a concentration at 8pm outside its town hall on Plaça de Cort, according to local coverage.
• Open-Meteo forecasts an overcast day across the Balearic Islands, with highs of 31 to 32 degrees and no rain expected.
• The regional government's updated flood mapping shows nearly a third of the town of Manacor sits in a flood-prone zone, per Ultima Hora.
• AEMET recorded the hottest August on record in the islands, with 42 degrees measured in Pollensa and a 13-day heatwave earlier in the month.

Today's essentials

Over 300 rallies back Ceuta, Palma joins at 8pm today. More than 300 rallies were staged across Spain on Tuesday 2 September 2026 in support of Ceuta, and Palma joined the movement with a concentration at 8pm outside the town hall on Plaça de Cort.

The date was not chosen at random: 2 September is Ceuta Day, the enclave's autonomous-city holiday. According to Diario de Mallorca and Diario de Ibiza, the mobilisation ran under the slogan "Ceuta unida jamás será vencida" (a united Ceuta will never be defeated), with a second banner, "Ceuta no se vende, se defiende", also seen in the crowds. The push came from the "Por Ceuta" initiative, supported by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), whose president is María José García-Pelayo.

The scale is what makes this a national story rather than a local one. Infobae reports that more than 260 town councils formally backed citizen concentrations outside their own town halls at 8pm mainland time (7pm in the Canaries), an initiative born on social media. Euronews counts more than 300 demonstrations nationwide. The organisers set one firm rule, quoted by Infobae: no party flags and no political acronyms on the placards, because "this is a peaceful act by the city, not a campaign." In the Balearics, gatherings were announced beyond Palma, alongside others in Andalusia, the Valencian Community, Catalonia and the Basque Country.

Behind the show of support lies a crisis that began on 30 July 2026, when large numbers of people, mostly young Moroccans, reached Ceuta by swimming or walking around the Tarajal breakwater. The figures diverge sharply and neither side should be treated as settled: Real Instituto Elcano estimates between 50,000 and 60,000 people entered irregularly on 30 and 31 July, while Infobae puts the number closer to 70,000. Most left within days, with around 48,500 already gone by 1 August according to Elcano. The same institute reported more than 70 bodies recovered from the waters off Ceuta as of 5 August, a toll it described as still rising.

In Ceuta itself the march began at 7pm at the Murallas Reales, the royal ramparts, crossed the Plaza de África and ended outside the town hall, according to El Pueblo de Ceuta. No source consulted gave a confirmed head count for the enclave's own turnout, described only as "thousands" in the original reports.

What this means for you: if you live in the Balearics and wanted to show up, the local point of reference was the 8pm concentration outside Palma's town hall on Plaça de Cort, a non-partisan event open to residents. The human toll of the July crossings remains the open question: Real Instituto Elcano indicated the count of bodies recovered off Ceuta was still evolving after 5 August, so a firmer figure may follow in the coming weeks.

Weather today

Overcast and warm, highs near 31 to 32 degrees. Open-Meteo forecasts an overcast but dry Wednesday across the Balearic Islands, with lows around 23 to 24 degrees and highs of 31 to 32 degrees and no rain expected anywhere.

In Palma, expect a low of 24 and a high of 31 degrees under a grey sky, with rain probability at 0% and wind topping out at 15 km/h. It is muggy rather than sunny weather, so light, breathable clothing works better than beachwear if you are running errands in town.

Elsewhere the picture barely shifts. Around the rest of Mallorca, Calvià sees 23 to 31 degrees with partly cloudy skies and a gentle breeze up to 12 km/h, while over on Menorca, Ciutadella edges slightly warmer at 23 to 32 degrees, overcast, with the lightest wind of all at 8 km/h. With no rain in the forecast, it is a comfortable day for the coast, though the cloud cover means you will not need to chase shade the way you did during August's heat.

Transport & traffic

• Stray dogs on the Cala Tarida road raise safety fears. Several loose dogs beside the Cala Tarida road in Ibiza have again alarmed residents and workers, who warn of danger both to the animals and to passing cars, according to Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera. For anyone driving that stretch, the concern is practical: an animal darting onto the carriageway can force a sudden swerve or brake, and neighbours quoted by Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera stress the risk is "not only for them, but also for the cars." If you use the Cala Tarida road, ease off the accelerator on the affected section and keep an eye on the verges, particularly at dawn and dusk when the dogs are hardest to spot.
• Barefoot rider in a bikini surprises Palma's ring road. A driver on Palma's Vía de Cintura ring road, heading towards the airport, filmed a motorcyclist riding barefoot and in a bikini at midday, and the clip quickly spread on social media, reports Ultima Hora. Beyond the novelty, it is a reminder of how exposed two wheels are on a fast urban artery like the Vía de Cintura. Riding without proper footwear or protective clothing offers no cushion in a fall, and on the airport-bound lanes traffic moves quickly. If you commute by scooter or motorbike in the Palma heat, the temptation to dress light is real, but even a short spill at ring-road speed makes the case for covering up.

What's changing for you

• Finding a good-value menú del día in Palma. A newcomer to Palma asked on Reddit's r/mallorca where to eat a good-value menú del día, including takeaway, a question every new resident eventually faces. The menú del día is your best everyday tool for eating well cheaply in Spain: a fixed-price weekday lunch, usually served roughly between 1pm and 4pm, that typically includes a starter, a main, and either dessert or coffee, often with bread and a drink. It is a legal fixture in many establishments and almost always cheaper than ordering à la carte. To find a good one, walk the streets around your neighbourhood at lunchtime and read the chalkboards outside; the busier the place with local workers, the safer the bet. Ask whether it is available para llevar (takeaway) if you want to eat at home, and go early, because the best dishes run out first.
• Nearly a third of Manacor sits in a flood zone. Almost a third of the town of Manacor lies within a flood-prone area, according to updated flood and preferential-flow mapping from the regional government's Recursos Hídrics, reports Ultima Hora. The revision has stirred the town, where the deadly 1989 torrentada still weighs on the collective memory. If you own or rent in Manacor, this is worth acting on: check whether your address falls inside the updated flood or preferential-flow zones, as it can affect building permissions, insurance, and how you prepare for heavy autumn rains. The mapping is public, so consult it before signing a lease or planning any works on a ground-floor or low-lying property.

Local news to know

• Balearic football referees to wear alert smartwatches. The Balearic Islands Football Federation (FFIB) will equip its referees with a smartwatch carrying a microphone and geolocation, designed as a real-time alert system against violence, according to Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera.
• Menorca ends an extreme August: 28.5 degrees, 16 hot nights. Menorca closed an exceptionally hot August with an average temperature of 28.5 degrees, 3.3 degrees above normal for the month and 16 tropical nights, according to AEMET's monthly report cited by Es Diari.
• Hottest August on record, 42 degrees in Pollensa. The Balearics lived through their hottest August on record, with 42 degrees measured in Pollensa, as AEMET identified a 13-day heatwave between 6 and 18 August that pushed temperatures to 40.1 degrees in Porreres and 40 in Llucmajor, per Majorca Daily Bulletin.
• Ryanair warns of higher fares next year. Ryanair has warned that air fares in Europe could rise next year if oil prices stay high, saying it is prudent to cut its exposure to unhedged jet fuel during the loss-making winter schedule, according to Majorca Daily Bulletin.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow