It does occur from time to time and is referred to locally as a 'rissaga', a meteotsunami that can appear somewhat alarming but rarely causes any significant damage.
Puerto Alcudia was affected on Wednesday night. The sea level rose sharply and part of the Paseo Marítimo was flooded. No significant damage was reported. Puerto Alcudia is one of the places in Mallorca most susceptible to this weather event; Porto Cristo is another.
There hadn't been a warning of rissaga in Mallorca but it wasn't all that surprising that there was one. Menorca is on amber alert and was yesterday.
Aemet met agency spokesperson, Miquel Gili, explains that the 'rissaga' phenomenon is caused by variations in atmospheric pressure due to storms above a warm air mass. These conditions have applied and have affected the sea level and caused rissagas in several parts of Menorca and also in the north of Mallorca.
"Pressure variations affect sea level. If the pressure increases, the sea drops; if the pressure drops, the sea rises. The main characteristic of these rises and falls is that they occur over very short periods. In just 15 minutes the sea level can rise or fall very noticeably and then return to its normal state."
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