BRIT holidaymakers have been warned to stay away from four popular beaches amid a red flag alert.

Cala Mayor, Can Pere Antoni, Cuidad Jardin and Cala Estancia were closed to bathers after heavy rainfall hit Majorca overnight.

1

Little to almost no tourists were spotted by the shore on Friday morning – perhaps wondering if they should have stayed in England.

For others, the stormy weather came as a fresh break to the intense Spanish heat.

In Majorca, Palma University marked the heaviest rainfall in the island, with 17 litres per square metre overnight.

Portocolom and Alfàbia tied with 16 litres per square metre.

Campos, Salines and Andratx followed with 15, 14 and 13 litres respectively.

Puerto Pollensa marked only seven litres per square metre, but the town is set to be hit by storm in the next few days.

Ibiza beat Majorca with at least 72 litres of rain per square metre falling at Ibiza airport.

The unsettled weather is expected to continue throughout the weekend, according to the Met Office.

But sunshine and a rise in temperatures are set to return from Monday, Majorca Daily Bulletin reports.

The weather alert comes hours after the Carlotti Cove in Santa Pola and Playa de las Villas de Pilar de la Horadada, in Alicante, were closed until the water is deemed suitable for swimming.

Officials say they are working to reopen the beaches, Las Provincias reported.

“There has been a failure in the pump that drives the water collected in Santa Pola del Este to the treatment plant and the automaton that should have issued the notice to the EPSAR managers,” said town councillor for Infrastructure, Trini Ortiz, in a statement.

In July, swimmers were also banned from two beaches in Spain after “abnormal” levels of bacteria were detected in the water.

Authorities closed Urbanova and San Gabriel beaches in Alicante as they analysed the bacteria.