Moment 'mini tsunamis' hit Ibiza - flooding streets and restaurants

By CAITLIN LENG and GERARD COUZENS Published: 21:52, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 21:55, 24 August 2026 This is the terrifying moment 'mini tsunamis' hit a popular Ibiza beach destination, leaving streets and restaurants flooded in their path. Holidaymakers and locals were spotted fleeing from Platja de s'Arenal beach - located in the town of Sant Antoni de Portmany in Ibiza - after a sudden change in sea level led to water flooding through the promenade on Monday morning. The area, which a concert was scheduled to be held later that day, was left covered by seawater that swept away containers, coolers and bars installed for the event. A stage built for the concert - a tribute celebrating the music of a famous Spanish rock band - was also left surrounded by seawater. San Antonio Town Hall reacted by announcing the cancellation of the event, to be held at 10pm, 'for security reasons.'  The flooding comes as weather chiefs previously warned 'mini tsunamis' or rissagues, as they are known locally, were to hit parts of the Balearic Islands a the beginning of the week.  In Majorca, the ports of Alcudia, Andratx and Soller were affected by the conditions, as well as Port Adriano in the municipality of Calvia, which includes resorts like Magaluf.  On Monday afternoon, the sea swept onto part of a beachfront promenade in Puerto Alcudia - leaving holidaymakers having to wade through the water.  On Monday, 'mini tsunamis' caused by a sudden change in sea level hit Platja de s'Arenal beach in Ibiza - leaving restaurants and streets flooded Holidaymakers and locals were spotted fleeing from Platja de s'Arenal beach on the Spanish Balearic Island  The area was supposed to host a concert on Monday evening, however, was left covered by seawater that swept away containers, coolers and bars installed for the event Ciutadella in Menorca was also put on standby with warnings of oscillations in the sea level of up to four feet (1.2 metres) which will remain in place until midnight. The first mini-tsunami hit the area at just before 8am, with the change in sea level recorded at 86 centimetres or 2.8 feet. There were no immediate reports of any injuries. On Facebook, users expressed their sadness at the current weather conditions.  One user wrote: 'Such a shame,' while another, who was leaving the island, said: 'Saw the same storm and had a bit of turbulence too. 'Crazy seeing the lightning in the distance from the window.' However, one commenter seemed unsurprised by the stormy conditions, writing: 'This week in Ibiza prior to St Bartolome it was invariably stormy so quite normal!'  The extreme weather phenomena are caused by sudden atmospheric pressure changes rather than earthquakes or seismic activities and are not new to the islands. Only last week, the Spanish city of Valencia was put under an orange alert less than 24 hours after temperatures soared to 44C. It is thought the period of intense heat - driven by a patch of high pressure from the Mediterranean - clashed with a low pressure mass from the Atlantic to create  extreme conditions. Footage shared to social media showed the people of Valencia desperately trying to cope with torrential rain and gale force winds. In one shocking clip, restaurant workers could be seen trying to retrieve clusters of wooden chairs flowing down a street which had effectively become a river. Another, meanwhile, showed a huge tree tumbling to the ground as wind speeds exceeded 49mph in the tourist destination. And in July 2018, mini-tsunamis reaching up to five feet flooded coastal roads, beach bars, and restaurant terraces in areas such as Alcudia, Andratx, and Porto Cristo -  snapping boat moorings and dragging vessels out to sea. Tourists could be seen running to avoid getting soaked and potentially knocked over by the strong currents.