A meteorological tsunami dragged cars and frightened beachgoers at Cardoso Beach in Laguna, in the south of Brazil, on the afternoon of this Saturday (11). According to the Civil Defense, which confirmed the occurrence, the phenomenon is uncommon and “difficult to predict”.
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The beach was full of tourists, and many people could be seen running, in addition to hearing screams. According to the Fire Department, no one was injured.
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Caused by meteorological factors, a meteorological tsunami differs from a general tsunami, which is caused by seismic disturbances (earthquakes) and usually has a greater destructive power.
According to the Civil Defense Monitoring and Alert Coordination, meteorological tsunamis are usually linked to some meteorological system, such as instability lines, as was the case with this occurrence.
“Instability lines are formed by approximately continuous storm cells, arranged in a line. When they pass parallel to the coast, they can cause abrupt changes in atmospheric pressure and intense wind gusts that contribute to the advancement of sea water towards the beach,” details the agency’s note.
Photo and video: Reproduction Twitter @Nilton_Veronesi/@rosamwovbeto