Laurence Dollimore
THIS is the moment a ‘meteo-tsunami’ struck the Spanish island of Menorca this week.
Footage shared online shows sunbeds and parasols being washed away by the huge wave.
The freak weather event occurred in the port of Ciutadella on Wednesday.
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According to state weather agency AEMET, at least five large meteo-tsunamis with oscillations over three feet were recorded.
In clips shared on social media, tourists can be seen making a run for it as the waves crash in.
Meteo-tsunamis are a rare phenomenon caused by a rapid change in air pressure brought on by other weather events such as thunderstorms.
As they are sparked by the weather, they differ from regular tsunamis, which are caused by movements on the seabed, typically due to earthquakes or landslides.
Essentially, when the atmospheric pressure changes rapidly, it can cause the sea level near the shoreline to rise significantly, causing waves of up to six feet or even more.
Meteo-tsunamis are far less dangerous than regular tsunamis.
