A German tourist has died after being swept away by waves during a meteotsunami in Mallorca, Spain.
A German tourist has died after a meteotsunami — a small tsunami — hit Spain's Balearic island of Mallorca on Monday.
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The 53-year-old man was swept away by a wave while walking with his family near Cala Egos, near the southeast coast.
Main beaches were closed in Mallorca and Menorca after being hit by high seawaters, with sand tornadoes also spotted in the latter.
The US National Ocean Service defined meteotsunamis as “driven by air-pressure disturbances often associated with fast-moving weather events, such as severe thunderstorms, squalls, and other storm fronts. The storm generates a wave that moves towards the shore, and is amplified by a shallow continental shelf and inlet, bay, or other coastal feature.”
A video posted on social media showed how a man struggled to control his catamaran that was let loose after the mini-tsunami. Local media reported that he was unharmed and made it to shore safely.
Watch the complete scene below.
Another video shows how Alcudia, a town in the north of Mallorca, is flooded by the high seawaters.