Holidaymakers and locals fled Platja de s'Arenal beach in Ibiza on Monday morning as "mini-tsunamis" caused by a sudden change in sea level flooded streets and restaurants. The phenomenon, known locally as rissagues, also impacted other areas of the Balearic Islands.
The waters swept through the promenade in Sant Antoni de Portmany, carrying away equipment set up for a concert scheduled to take place later that day. A stage erected for the musical tribute was left surrounded by seawater. In response, the San Antonio Town Hall canceled the event for security reasons.
Weather officials had previously issued warnings about potential rissagues affecting parts of the Balearic Islands early in the week. In Majorca, the ports of Alcudia, Andratx, and Soller experienced disruptions, as did Port Adriano in the municipality of Calvia. In Puerto Alcudia, visitors had to wade through water on the beachfront promenade.
Ciutadella in Menorca was also placed on standby due to warnings of sea level oscillations of up to 1.2 meters (4 feet). The first rissaga in the area was recorded just before 8 a.m. on Monday, with a sea level change of 86 centimeters (2.8 feet).
There were no immediate reports of injuries. Social media users expressed dismay at the weather conditions, though some noted that stormy weather is not uncommon in Ibiza during this period.
Rissagues are caused by rapid atmospheric pressure changes, not seismic activity, and have occurred in the islands previously. In July 2018, similar events caused flooding in areas like Alcudia, Andratx, and Porto Cristo, with sea levels rising up to five feet, damaging coastal infrastructure and dragging boats out to sea.
Last week, the Spanish city of Valencia experienced extreme weather, including torrential rain and gale-force winds, after a period of intense heat. This was attributed to a clash between a high-pressure system over the Mediterranean and a low-pressure mass from the Atlantic, leading to conditions that saw wind speeds exceeding 49 mph and street furniture swept away by floodwaters.