Photo: Agencia El Vigía // Twitter
An Argentinian beach was struck by a rare type of tsunami this week. As BNO News reports, a weather-induced wave called a meteotsunami led to dozens of injuries and at least one fatality.
The wave struck a beach on Argentina’s Atlantic coast, near the city of Mar del Plata. On Monday at around 4:15 p.m., the sea receded briefly, just before a large wave surged ashore, sweeping up beach-goers as it went. Fabián García, an official with Buenos Aires Province Civil Defense, told BNO News there was one fatality and 35 minor injuries. The fatality was a 29-year-old man who was dragged out by the surge and hit rocks along the shoreline.
While a tsunami is typically caused by an undersea earthquake, a meteotsunami is triggered by meteorological activity. Air-pressure disturbances caused by fast-moving weather events such as thunderstorms create a large wave that moves towards the shore. They occur in a variety of locations worldwide, including the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Coast, and the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.
Una crecida abrupta del mar con olas gigantes causó al menos un muerto y 35 heridos en playas cercanas a Mar del Plata.
En Santa Clara del Mar y Mar chiquita se registró una ola de más de 5 metros. pic.twitter.com/NkTdUCs4lX
— Agencia El Vigía (@AgenciaElVigia) January 12, 2026