Visitors to Majorca were stranded on Wednesday night after a “mini tsunami,” also known as a meteotsunami, engulfed the alleyways as well as the beachfront of the well-known coastal town.
Guests may be seen fleeing the violent floodwaters in a video capturing the occurrence. Others tried to veer aside in order to avoid being dragged under by the powerful current.
Unexpected Tsunami
The well-known tourist destination of Puerto Alcudia, a harbor community in Majorca, Spain, had an unexpected meteotsunami on Wednesday.
Conventional tsunamis are larger than meteotsunamis, which are often considerably lesser. Even yet, given the rapidity it can build, such miniature tsunamis have the potential to do significant harm.
Concerning Meteotsunamis
Rapid fluctuations in sea level brought on by different atmospheric phenomena, including severe storms or squalls, eventually give rise to tsunamis.
Unlike typical tsunamis, such small-scale waves, known as “rissagas” by villagers, are not brought on by seismic activity.
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An Accelerated Development
Meteotsunamis can be extremely hazardous even if they’re not as large as regular tsunamis, particularly in light of the speed at which waves can grow.
Sea level is influenced by differences in pressure, as stated by Aemet, the official weather office of Spain. Sea level decreases with rising pressure and rises with falling pressure. Sea levels may increase or decrease dramatically in a matter of minutes prior to stabilizing, demonstrating how quickly these increases and falls happen.
Busiest Day
When this mini tsunami developed on Wednesday night, both residents and visitors had a limited amount of time to decide what to do.
Video from this busy evening showed a lot of people fighting to stay dry in the pouring rain and rushing water. Additionally, a lot of visitors attempted to avoid being swept away by these unexpectedly powerful currents.
A Town That Was Inundated
This little tsunami caused this well-known beach tourist town to suddenly flood entirely. The speed with which the streets flooded to capacity on Wednesday is demonstrated by images and video.
Puerto Alcudia experienced roadway flooding. The local coastlines, at the same time, were totally engulfed.
Residents’ Reactions
While it was evident that many tourists found it difficult to cope with this possibly catastrophic meteotsunami, residents of the area are accustomed to such adverse conditions.
Actually, meteorologists might make it known whether any of such tiny tsunamis is likely to occur thanks to a regional alert mechanism. Residents can be promptly alerted by this announcement.
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No Serious Issues
Fortunately, no significant casualties have been reported despite the tourist town being partially submerged by the tsunami.
Meteotsunamis can nonetheless injure individuals and occasionally result in death, while not being as large or strong as tsunamis. These catastrophic events have regrettably occurred in Majorca before.
A Fatal Tsunami in 2018
Numerous popular vacation locations along the Majorcan shoreline were destroyed by a tsunami in 2018, especially those close to Port Andratx. This horrific occurrence resulted in the death of a German father who was washed toward the sea.
In the meantime, a wave that was about five feet high destroyed Ciutadella, the port city of Menorca, causing significant damage to the area.
Europe’s Abnormal Summertime Climate
With Europe experiencing an unusually busy summertime, this recent occurrence in Majorca occurs at a strange time. Very severe precipitation was experienced in several places of the continent.
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Right now, an elevated temperature that has crested around 107 degrees Fahrenheit in certain places is affecting numerous nations in the southern part of Europe. Furthermore, overheated spells have been plaguing the US and other regions of the Middle East.
The ensuing fires in Europe
As Majorca dealt with miniature tsunamis and Turkey tried to contain a wildfire that had claimed five lives, the southern part of Europe was left reeling from the intense heat.
With California and New Mexico currently combating fires, America has also started to experience regional wildfires lately.
Sweltering Summertime
This year’s summer weather across the globe have broken records. Due to the harsh weather, some popular tourist destinations have advised travelers to postpone their travel plans. Due to a drought, for instance, it is said that other resorts in Sicily have taken similar actions.
At the same time, citizens of several nations, such as Montenegro, Albania, and Croatia, found themselves experiencing blackouts across their cities due to the heat.
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