Dramatic scenes unfolded at one of Ibiza’s best-known beach spots as so-called “mini tsunamis” surged inland, swamping nearby streets and restaurants.
Tourists and residents were seen rushing away from Platja de s’Arenal, in the Ibiza town of Sant Antoni de Portmany, after the sea level shifted suddenly on Monday morning and sent water pouring across the promenade.
The seafront area, where a concert had been due to take place later in the day, was quickly covered in seawater, with the surge carrying off containers, coolers and bar equipment set up for the event.
A stage erected for the performance — a tribute to the music of a well-known Spanish rock band — was also left cut off and surrounded by the incoming water.
San Antonio Town Hall later confirmed the concert, scheduled for 10pm, had been cancelled “for security reasons.”
The Ibiza flooding followed earlier warnings from weather officials that “mini tsunamis,” known locally as rissagues, could affect parts of the Balearic Islands at the start of the week.
Majorca was also hit by the unusual sea-level fluctuations, with conditions reported at the ports of Alcudia, Andratx and Soller, as well as Port Adriano in Calvia, the municipality that includes tourist resorts such as Magaluf.
By Monday afternoon, seawater had pushed onto a section of the beachfront promenade in Puerto Alcudia, forcing holidaymakers to pick their way through the flooded walkway.
On Monday, ‘mini tsunamis’ caused by a sudden change in sea level hit Platja de s’Arenal beach in Ibiza – leaving restaurants and streets flooded
Holidaymakers and locals were spotted fleeing from Platja de s’Arenal beach on the Spanish Balearic Island
The area was supposed to host a concert on Monday evening, however, was left covered by seawater that swept away containers, coolers and bars installed for the event
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Ciutadella in Menorca was also put on standby with warnings of oscillations in the sea level of up to four feet (1.2 metres) which will remain in place until midnight.
The first mini-tsunami hit the area at just before 8am, with the change in sea level recorded at 86 centimetres or 2.8 feet.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
On Facebook, users expressed their sadness at the current weather conditions.
One user wrote: ‘Such a shame,’ while another, who was leaving the island, said: ‘Saw the same storm and had a bit of turbulence too.
‘Crazy seeing the lightning in the distance from the window.’
However, one commenter seemed unsurprised by the stormy conditions, writing: ‘This week in Ibiza prior to St Bartolome it was invariably stormy so quite normal!’
The extreme weather phenomena are caused by sudden atmospheric pressure changes rather than earthquakes or seismic activities and are not new to the islands.
Only last week, the Spanish city of Valencia was put under an orange alert less than 24 hours after temperatures soared to 44C.
It is thought the period of intense heat – driven by a patch of high pressure from the Mediterranean – clashed with a low-pressure mass from the Atlantic to create extreme conditions.
Footage shared to social media showed the people of Valencia desperately trying to cope with torrential rain and gale-force winds.
In one shocking clip, restaurant workers could be seen trying to retrieve clusters of wooden chairs flowing down a street which had effectively become a river.
Another, meanwhile, showed a huge tree tumbling to the ground as wind speeds exceeded 49mph in the tourist destination.
And in July 2018, mini-tsunamis reaching up to five feet flooded coastal roads, beach bars, and restaurant terraces in areas such as Alcudia, Andratx, and Porto Cristo – snapping boat moorings and dragging vessels out to sea.
Tourists could be seen running to avoid getting soaked and potentially knocked over by the strong currents.
