We may all make light relief about the tidal wave that never was, but the prospect of a tsunami one day ripping Bermuda to shreds remains a very real threat.

A collapsing volcano in the Canary Islands will eventually crash into the sea, sending a giant wall of water ? a ?mega tsunami? ? sweeping over the Atlantic Ocean, according to experts. Within four hours of the volcano?s demise, a wave 150 metres high will wreak a devastating blow over the Island before making its way to America and the Caribbean.

There?s no need to panic just yet, experts stress, as the collapse is not expected to take place for thousands of years. Until then, hundreds of tidal waves will continue to be broken up by coral reefs surrounding the Island, ensuring there is no need for any Bermudians to fear for their lives.

Rod Johnson, a research scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science (BIOS), spoke to in the wake of Saturday?s mayhem, which saw Police evacuating Dockyard and Somerset residents following rumours of a tidal wave.

Dr. Johnson said that while many large waves cross the Atlantic, few pose any danger to the Island.

He said: ?Because of Bermuda?s lack of continental shelf, the effect of a normal tidal wave is minimal and it would normally pass through unnoticed.

?The reef would attack it in such a way as to destroy it and you would see very little happening on the shoreline.

?That is what happened when the Asian tsunami, which caused so much damage elsewhere, came through Bermuda in 2004.

?The only serious concern would be a mega tsunami. That?s a whole different ball game.

?These are rare and happen once every hundreds or thousands of years ? but there?s plenty of documents and evidence to show they do happen.?

Dr. Johnson said the collapse in the Canary Islands would trigger a mega tsunami which would rock huge parts of the world.

?Bermuda?s biggest scare is the volcano in the Canary Islands,? he said. ?During the next eruption, we could have enough pressure on the volcano to cause a catastrophic reaction.

?A land mass the size of the Isle of Man could slip into the water in a big lump.

?You would then have a huge wall of water coming across the Atlantic big enough to wipe out the whole of the east coast of Bermuda.

?We would have four hours before it hits us. We wouldn?t be able to go underground because of the pressure that would be on top of us, so everyone would have to go up to the mountains to stand a chance ? Flatts is the highest point.

?Even the UK would feel the affects of this mega tsunami ? we are talking massive impact.

?I don?t want to scare people. This is all thousands of years away and it?s not anything we should have to worry about.

?But one day in the distant future it will happen. It is a probability of one.?

On Saturday, Police evacuated people to the West End after receiving a flurry of calls from worried members of the public about large waves breaking on the northern reef line.

According to sources who spoke to , Bermuda Police Service launched the operation without first making checks with Bermuda Weather Service, who could have told them there was nothing to worry about.

The dramatic horizon, weathermen said, was simply the result of stormy weather last week and an exceptionally clear day.

Officials at the weather service stay ahead of the game by receiving information from the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, which puts out tsunami advisories and warning throughout North America.

Further, ocean scientists help keep up-to-date with any potential threats under the sea with a seismograph ? a machine which detects and records tremors in the earth?s crust.

The only seismograph on the Island is located at BIOS, where regular readings of earthquakes are sent to the US Geological Survey.

Weather officials were confident there was nothing to worry about on Saturday because no tsunami advisories had been issued for anywhere in the Atlantic.

On hearing the rumours, officials checked the US Geological Survey?s website, which confirmed there were no earthquakes in the region to trigger a giant wave.

Dr. Mark Guishard, director of the weather service, advised people not to panic next time rumours rear their head.

?Firstly, I would advise a calm assessment of the situation?, he said. ?This can be done by checking the information disseminated by the Bermuda Weather Service, via the usual methods.

?On Saturday, the television channels on CableVision and WOW were updated to display the current status ? that there were no weather or ocean related emergency situations.?

He said approaching tsunamis were sometimes heralded by noticeable rise or fall of coastal waters and usually accompanied by a loud roar that sounds like a train or aircraft.

In the event of a tsunami, people are advised to take to higher ground and away from the coast.