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Date Published: 19/07/2023

Why are huge palm trees toppling all over Alicante province?

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The enormous trees have fallen without warning in Benidorm, Elche and Alicante city

Why are huge palm trees toppling all over Alicante province?

Those brave enough to step out during the heatwave have been stunned to notice huge palm trees tumbling to the ground in public parks and along pavements all across Alicante province. In just two days, more than a dozen of these trees have toppled over in cities like Alicante, Elche, Benidorm, Torrevieja and Crevillent.

It seems that the extreme temperatures, which have placed the southern Alicante coast on red alert on Wednesday July 19, are affecting plant life almost as much as people. The palms are suffering from water stress, according to the experts, their shrivelled roots simply not able to support their considerable weight.

"If, due to the effect of drought, irrigation is reduced, the caking of the soil can cause damage to the roots due to the lack of aeration and, in the long run, weaken the plant, which can break away from the ground in extreme cases," explained professor of Biology at the University of Alicante Manuel Crespo.

Crespo adds that, although palm trees also inhabit deserts, they only do so near water points: "They are only in oases, with abundant groundwater."

This phenomenon is particularly apparent in Elche's public parks, where trees that used to sit in well-irrigated ditches now have no more than a few centimetres of water. And although plenty of rain fell in April, May and June, the sudden change to roaring temperatures means the plants simply haven't had enough time to adapt.

So serious is the problem that Elche Film Festival actually had to cancel all its screenings at the Hort del Xocolater when a seemingly healthy palm tree collapsed on Sunday July 16. This, coupled with the red temperature warning, has prompted the organisers to move the remaining events from the heart of the Palmeral to the Glorieta Culture classroom. The show scheduled for Arenales del Sol beach will go ahead as planned.

Find all the latest weather and climate change news here or join our Alicante Weather Watch Facebook group for regular updates

Image: Ayuntamiento de Alicante

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