DANA over Mallorca: why the cut-off low brings autumn downpours
Wetter Mallorca editorial team · · 3 min read
A DANA is an isolated low high up in the atmosphere with cold air at its core, known in English as a cut-off low. Over the Mediterranean, still warm in autumn, it can trigger violent thunderstorms. Palma averages 63.1 mm of rain in October and 87.3 mm in November, against 3.0 mm in July (AEMET, 2011 to 2025 average).
What a DANA over Mallorca is
DANA is the Spanish acronym for «Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos», an isolated low at high altitude. According to AEMET it is a low pressure system in the upper troposphere that has completely detached from the main flow aloft. Not every DANA has a major impact.
How it forms is explained in a post on the AEMET blog. Between 8 and 12 kilometres up, bands of strong wind flow eastwards, the jet streams, at up to 180 km/h. They meander. When a trough bends so far that it breaks away from the jet stream, a closed swirl with cold air inside is left behind. Meteorologists in English call it a cut-off low.
The older Spanish name «gota fría», cold drop, comes from German meteorology, according to AEMET, from the word Kaltlufttropfen. Because it ended up being used in Spain for any heavy rain event, the state weather service introduced the more precise term DANA. The name also honours the meteorologist Francisco García Dana.
Why DANA season in Mallorca is autumn
Cold air aloft is not enough on its own. According to AEMET, violent storms also need warmth, low pressure near the surface and moist air. The cold core lets warm, moist air rise unusually high until thunderclouds form. According to another AEMET blog post, heavy rain and thunderstorms in Spain's Mediterranean area come mainly in late summer and autumn, often, though not always, with a DANA. When a warm, moist easterly wind meets a DANA, especially with high sea temperatures, severe storms with torrential rain break out. The sea surface off Palma averages 25.9 °C in September and 23.5 °C in October (NOAA OISST, 2011 to 2025 average, not a forecast). More on the sea temperature page.
The rainfall figures reflect this. At the AEMET station Palma Puerto, the 2011 to 2025 average is 56.3 mm in September, 63.1 mm in October and 87.3 mm in November, against 3.0 mm in July. An average is not a forecast, and some autumns are far drier or wetter. Month by month: September, October and November.
What the Balearic government plans for Mallorca
The Balearic government activated its flood plan INUNBAL at pre-alert level on 15 August 2026, at the start of the period of highest risk for DANAs (government statement). It points out that on the islands the time between intense rain, rising water and its arrival in areas at risk is especially short. Current AEMET warnings are listed on the Mallorca weather warnings page.
How much climate change adds remains to be seen. The AEMET blog names a warmer Mediterranean as one possible source of extra moisture.
Frequently asked questions
What does DANA mean in a Mallorca weather report?
DANA is the Spanish acronym for an isolated low at high altitude with cold air at its core. In English it is called a cut-off low. AEMET uses DANA as the technical term.
Is a DANA in Mallorca the same as a gota fría?
In technical terms yes, AEMET treats the two as synonyms. In everyday use, though, gota fría came to mean any heavy rain event in Spain, which is why AEMET uses the more precise term DANA.
Why do DANAs hit Mallorca mainly in autumn?
According to the AEMET blog, heavy rain in Spain's Mediterranean area comes mainly in late summer and autumn, and high sea temperatures strengthen the storms when a warm, moist easterly meets a DANA. Off Palma it averages 25.9 °C in September. The Balearic government places the start of the highest DANA risk period in mid August.
How much rain falls in Palma in autumn?
At the AEMET station Palma Puerto the 2011 to 2025 average is 56.3 mm in September, 63.1 mm in October and 87.3 mm in November. That is an average, not a forecast.
Text written with AI and automatically checked against editorial rules before publication. Figures come from the linked sources. Wetter Mallorca is not an official weather service.
