Massive tidal wave hits beach in Brazil, sweeps away beachgoers. Videos

The 'sneaker wave' swept away unsuspecting beachgoers and their belongings. (Image credit: @volcaholic1, @Rainmaker1973/X)

A massive tidal wave crashed ashore in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro on Sunday,  sending beachgoers scrambling for safety with several people and their belongings being swept away.

Videos of the phenomenon known as a "sneaker wave" are now being widely circulated on social media.

A sneaker wave is a disproportionately large coastal wave that can appear in a wave train without warning.

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This is a 3 meter (11 foot) sneaker wave that hit Rio de Janeiro beach on November 5, 2023pic.twitter.com/1BxWlckASg

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) November 7, 2023

The wave, estimated to be about 3 metres high, even flooded a nearby street, and it wasn't clear if anyone was seriously injured.

Big surprise on Leblon Beach in Rio de Janeiro, #Brazil over the weekend pic.twitter.com/qFLEmP4Tz7

— Volcaholic (@volcaholic1) November 7, 2023

As the name implies, "sneaker waves" can sneak up on beachgoers and catch people off guard.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes it as "potentially deadly waves that surge further up the beach than expected, overtaking the unaware. There can be 10 to 20 minutes of small waves right before a sneaker wave strikes. Beachgoers can be swept into the ocean."

Another phenomenon that could have caused the wave was a large storm that was brewing over the Atlantic Ocean just southeast of Rio de Janeiro, AccuWeather reported. The eye of the storm was well out in sea the sea but it was powerful enough to generate large waves that could reach hundreds of kilometres, including the beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Read more: Surfers brave monster waves of Portugal's Nazare: See Pics