A "mini tsunami" has caused flooding on the Spanish islands of Majorca and Menorca. Beaches, restaurants and roads were hit by high seawaters after the 5ft (1.5m) wave reportedly struck on Monday morning. A weather phenomenon known as a meteotsunami was blamed for the flooding which affected Ciutadella, on the west coast of Menorca, and Alcudia in the north of Majorca. Image: A large wave caused flooding in Majorca. Pic: Virales Mallorca Footage posted online showed water rushing across roads and boat owners struggling to control their vessels out at sea. A meteotsunami - also called a rissaga - is triggered by disturbances in air pressure following fast-moving weather events such as severe thunderstorms. Advertisement The large waves can reach heights of 6ft (1.8m) and are generally smaller than tsunamis, which are caused by seismic activity. No injuries have been reported. The flooding in Majorca hit areas about 40 miles from Sant Llorenc, where the hit dating show Love Island is being filmed.<doc-sep>A GERMAN dad-of-two died after being swept to sea in Majorca - just hours after a 'meteotsunami' laid waste to the holiday island's beaches. The unnamed tourist, 52, died on Monday after being dragged to sea in front of his wife and children. 12 Tsunami-like waves have smashed Spanish tourist islands Credit: IB3 NEWS It is believed the man was walking on Portopetro, Majorca, when he was swept to sea with his son and daughter. BILD claim the mum was able to pull her daughter to safety, while nearby canoeists rescued the son before dragging the lifeless dad onto the boat. Cops are thought to be investigating the man's death. Nearby beaches were also flooded by a tsunami-like wave known as a "meteotsunami", called a rissaga in Catalan Spanish. Desperate Menorca yacht owners try to stop boats being washed away by 5ft mini-tsunami 12 Shocking pictures show the aftermath of the wave Credit: menorcaaldia.com 12 The waves sent beachside tables and chairs spinning into the sea Credit: Solarpix 12 The mini-tsunami flooded streets and parks Credit: Minorca Local 12 Five feet waves crashed onto beaches in Majorca and Menorca Credit: Solarpix 12 Local cops battled to hold boats in place 12 Seawater is seen flooding the streets after one of the giant waves hits Credit: Solarpix 12 The freak weather phenomenon devastated several holiday resorts, with seawater flooding bars and terraces by the coast in the island's Port Andratx. On Monday morning a massive wave - measuring nearly five feet - smashed into Menorca's port city of Ciutadella. Yacht owners were filmed desperately trying to stop their boats being washed away. The strong current broke the ropes of a historic sailing boat used by the Majorca Island Council - which had to be rescued by sailors and brought back to port as it drifted out to sea. 12 One yacht was beached on the sand in Alcudia Credit: Joe Wallen 12 This is the moment a luxury catamaran broke free of its moorings and was swept into the open sea 12 The huge waves are known as meteotsunamis Credit: Solarpix 12 Horrifying footage shows two men - barefoot and wearing shorts - trying to stop their luxury boat sweeping off into the harbour Video shows boats being washed away by the sea as mini tsunami hits Menorca MOST READ IN NEWS COVID CHAOS France to BAN Brit tourists unless they stay in quarantine hotels for 10 days 'MEETING' MASSACRE 'Mass shooter killed eight at rail yard' after 'setting home on fire' HORROR FIND Neighbor 'in tears' after finding body of 'kidnapped and slain' boy, 4 HEATWAVE Scorching 23C temperatures to hit THIS WEEKEND as rain & wind make way for summer MAGIC COMBO Powerball results LIVE: Winning numbers for Wednesday, May 26 - $236m jackpot GATES CREEPER Bill Gates's money man 'shared nude pics of women colleagues & RATED looks' One shocking clip shows desperate boat owners battling to keep their yachts from being washed away as the wave pounds a jetty in Port Andratx, Majorca. Horrifying footage shows two men - barefoot and wearing shorts - trying to stop their luxury boat sweeping off into the harbour. Meteotsunamis, also called meteorological tsunamis, are generated when rapid changes in barometric pressure cause the displacement of a body of water. Last summer, one of the giant waves was filmed hitting the coast of the Netherlands and catching beachgoers off guard. Beach chairs, boats and parasols were swept away by the wave. Whats is a meteotsunami? A meteotsunami is generated when rapid changes in atmospheric pressure cause the displacement of a body of water. It often emerges as the forerunner of a thunderstorm and a cold weather front. Meteorologists speak of an inversion when the air on the ground is cooler than in the upper air layers, which then changes the air pressure causing the meteotsunami together with strong gusts. Meteotsunamis have also been recorded in the United Kingdom. The first ever officially identified British meteotsunami hit the Cornish coastline in June 2011. British researchers first became aware of the meteotsunami after people walking across St Michael's Mount causeway suddenly found themselves standing in water. Andrew Sibley, of the Met Office, said: "The updrafts and downdrafts within a thunderstorm can create small and short-lived pressure changes, leading to initially small sea waves. "These waves can then be amplified dramatically by resonance between the speed of the thunderstorm system and the speed of the wave if they are in phase. "The speed of the sea wave is related to the sea depth. Such waves can also be funneled by coastal bays, estuaries and inlets. Professor David Tappin of the British Geological Survey added: "Most tsunamis are geological, where you have a vertical movement on the seabed which can be caused by an earthquake, like in Japan in 2011, or a landslide. "Meteotsunamis, however, are created by weather. You need a small, rapid change in atmospheric pressure of just a few millibars, if you get one of these then it can change the sea surface elevation by a few centimetres. "In the deep ocean this would not be noticeable but when it enters shallow water whilst the weather system is moving at the same speed then the sea level increases by several metres." We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours<doc-sep>“Tsunami-like” waves have hit the coasts of Spanish tourist hotspots Mallorca and Menorca. A freak wave was seen smashing into the boardwalk at Puerto de Alcudia in Mallorca, flooding restaurants and covering beachside roads. On the west coast of Menorca surges of more than one metre crashed into tourist beaches, according to local media reports. A wall of water hit the port city of Cituadella in Menorca on Monday, causing widespread flooding. In Mallorca, boats were detached from their ropes and dragged around the port by strong currents. The phenomenon is known as a “meteotsunami“ and is caused by rapid changes in barometric pressure resulting in a sudden displacement of a body of water. UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Show all 35 1 /35 UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People on the beach at Croyde Beach in North Devon PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People enjoy the sun at Carsington Water in Derbyshire PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Sophie Todd, aged 7, and her mother Jane Todd playing in one of the Trafalgar Square fountains in London PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A couple play catch with a ball whilst swimming in the River Stour Getty Images UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Children play in the fountains at Granary Square, King's Cross PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A dog under an umbrella at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People sunbath on the clifftop at Woolacombe Beach in North Devon PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A woman stands in a field of sunflowers at Vine House Farm near Spalding, Lincolnshire PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A woman takes a selfie in front of St Paul's Chathedral PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Paddle boarders off the coast at Tynemouth , Tyne & Wear PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People on Woolacombe Beach in North Devon PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A canal boat passes along the Regent's Canal PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People relax in the warm weather on the beach in Brighton PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People enjoying the hot weather and sunshine on the banks of the River Thames in Putney Rex Features UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Spectators enjoy the hot weather during day seven of the Nature Valley International at Devonshire Park PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Hot and sunny day in Hyde Park's Serpentine lake Rex UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People relax in the warm weather on the beach in Eastbourne PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People sunbathe as they enjoy the warm weather on Bournemouth beach PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A person sunbathes on a blow up mattress in the sea off of Bournemouth beach in Dorset PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A couple relax in the sunshine on the beach in Brighton PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People play in water fountains in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Chris Bryant from Basingstoke paddle boards at Boscombe Beach in Dorset PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People shelter from the sun beneath umbrellas as they walk in St James's Park in London AFP/Getty Images UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Arianna Espiritu Kelly, 2, eats an ice-cream in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Victor the Polar Bear enjoys a dip in the water at Yorkshire Wildlife Park PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People on the beach in Brighton PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Woman relax in the sunshine on the beach in Hastings, Sussex PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People enjoy their lunch break in the sunshine near Tower Bridge in London PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Police horses drink from a water fountain during the hot weather in Green Park PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Anglers fish on New Brighton beach on the Wirral, Merseyside as the sun rises over the Port of Liverpool and the River Mersey PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A family of lemurs enjoy an ice lolly at Yorkshire Wildlife Park PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People enjoy the sunshine in St James's Park in in London AFP/Getty Images UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A duck swims in the algae covered lake in St James's Park, London PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A couple cycle in the sunshine around Bewl Water in Kent PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A man takes a break in the sun on Southbank, London PA Spain’s meteorological agency, Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, issued a yellow warning on Sunday in Ciutadella, which was increased to an orange alert on Monday, signifying a very high risk of meteotsunamis. ​ The tsunami-like waves have characteristics similar to earthquake-generated tsunamis, according to the US National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, but are caused by air pressure disturbances often associated with fast moving weather systems. These changes in air pressure can cause waves to travel at the same speed as the overhead weather system. The last meteotsunami to be reported in Ciutadella was on the 10 June, but it measured just 55 centimetres, according to local media reports.<doc-sep>
A father-of-two died in Majorca on Monday after being swept out to sea alongside his children The German man, 52, was walking on Portopetro beach on the south coast of Majorca when a wave dragged him into the sea along with his children in front of his wife. Canoeists came to the aid of the individuals and were able to rescue the son from the water, while the mother was able to rescue the daughter. The father’s lifeless body was carried ashore by the canoeists and paramedics were unable to resuscitate him, according to German newspaper Das Bild. Police are currently investigating the exact circumstances of the death, but they are not thought to be suspicious. Majorca was also hit by a freak five-foot wave in the early hours of Tuesday morning, which caused flooding and destruction in many popular coastal resorts. The mini-tsunami hit the city of Cituadella on the west coast of Menorca and beach chairs were sent flying. Water also flooded roads in the town of Alcudia in the north of Majorca, disrupting traffic. Boat owners were seen struggling to control their vessels and a historic sailing boat used by the Majorca Island Council broke adrift and had be brought back to port. A five-foot wave hit the Spanish Balearic Islands on Tuesday morning causing flooding Majorca street gets flooded by mini-tsunami Martí Fuster, a fishing boat owner in the Port d’Alcudia, commented to the Mirror about the event, stating: “I have never seen a 'rissaga' like that in the bay of Alcúdia.” The phenomenon, known as a meteotsunami, is caused by disturbances in air pressure following extreme weather events such as strong thunderstorms. They are generally smaller than tsunamis which are caused by seismic activity. No injuries were reported following the incident on Tuesday as the event occurred in the early hours of the morning. Majorca shark attack: Latest pictures Sun, June 25, 2017 Extraordinary photos taken by stunned onlookers show the shark swimming towards a group of people including children near Magaluf Play slideshow Tim Prottey-Jones 1 of 5 Panicked bathers ran out of the sea after a blue shark came close to the shore in a popular Majorcan holiday resort