Is it safe to visit Majorca after the tsunami? And what is a meteotsunami?

The “mini tsunami” that hit the Balearic Islands this week has claimed the life of a German tourist who was swept out to sea from a beach in Majorca.

The unnamed man, believed to be 52, is the only victim of the weather phenomenon that struck the popular holiday destinations of Majorca and Menorca on Monday. He was walking on Portopetro when the waves struck, according to German newspaper Bild.

Are the resorts damaged?

Videos of the waves that hit Majorca and Menorca show sail boats dragged by the currents and water washing over the coastline. Beach-side restaurants and bars were hit by flooding though there is not believed to be lasting damage.

The Foreign Office has not issued any advice concerning the event and flights to the islands have not been affected.

Cala'n Blanes, a hotel near Ciutadella, Menorca, where the tsunami struck, said: "Everything in Menorca is fine."

How big was the tsunami?

The tsunami that brought five-foot waves to the beaches of the west coast of Menorca as well as parts of neighbouring Majorca has been defined as a meteotsunami - or a rissaga in Catalan Spanish.

In June 2011 a meteotsunami struck the Yealm Estuary near Plymouth. A paper published in the Royal Meteorological Society investigating the event described meteotsunamis as “shallow water waves… created by air disturbances moving over the sea”.

As opposed to tsunamis, which are predominantly the result of earthquakes, meteotsunamis are “atmospherically generated waves that amplify as they shoal and then resonate in bays and harbours”.

In the Mediterranean the source of the disturbance in the air is caused by warm African air flowing over cooler Mediterranean air. Similar to tsunamis, witnesses have reported seeing the sea recede before waves come rushing in.

“Meteotsunamis have characteristics similar to earthquake-generated tsunamis, but they are caused by air pressure disturbances often associated with fast moving weather systems,” explains the US National Weather Service, adding that waves travel at the same speed as the overhead weather.

“Development of a meteotsunami depends on several factors such as the intensity, direction, and speed of the disturbance as it travels over a water body with a depth that enhances wave magnification. Like an earthquake-generated tsunami, a meteotsunami affects the entire water column and can become dangerous when it hits shallow water, which causes it to slow down and increase in height and intensity. Even greater magnification can occur in semi-enclosed water bodies like harbors, inlets, and bays.”

The NWS says meteotsunamis can cause significant damage, injuries and death.

Have the Balearics been hit before?

According to the NWS, certain parts of the world, including the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, are prone to meteotsunamis due to a combination of variables such as geography, weather patterns and the size, shape and depth of the water.

“The strongest meteotsunami on record struck Vela Luka, Croatia, in June 1978,” says the NWS. “The event featured 19.5-foot wave heights, lasted several hours, and caused significant damage to the port and boats. Since then, a number of other meteotsunamis with waves exceeding six feet have been observed along the Croatian coast.”

But Ciutadella, Menorca, has also suffered before. The town was damaged by significant waves in both 1984 and 2006, causing tens of millions of pounds of damage to the harbour and boats. Another hit the harbour in 2013, causing similar damage.

Rissagas typically happen several times a year in the region, but many go almost unnoticed. In Sicily they are known as “marrubbio” and in Malta “milghuba”.

In 2008 12-foot waves damaged boats and the shoreline in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, US, while in 1954 a 10-foot wave in Lake Michigan struck Chicago, sweeping people off piers and claiming seven lives.

What is the weather forecast for Majorca and Menorca?

Mostly sunny, with regular highs of 31 degrees over the next seven days on Menorca. On Majorca, it will be a little hotter, with the mercury reaching 34 degrees.

The Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System (SOCIB) attempts to predict "extreme sea level oscillation events", with a focus on Ciutadella. Its forecasting shows there is a "low" and "moderate" risk of a "rissaga" over the coming days.