Scientific study identifies the areas most vulnerable to Mediterranean storms (Medicanes) in the Mediterranean Sea

Arab Weather - Statistics prepared by Italian researcher Daniele Bianchino on Mediterranean storms (Medicane) revealed the areas most vulnerable to the formation of this rare weather phenomenon, also known as Mediterranean storms or Mediterranean storms. The statistics, which cover the period from 1976 to 2017, show, using a map based on shades of blue, the areas that witnessed the greatest probability of the formation of these storms.

According to the data, areas with a dark blue color appear to be most vulnerable to this phenomenon, while the probability decreases as the color moves towards sky blue. The most affected areas include the central Mediterranean, specifically the Ionian Sea, where the right weather and geographic conditions in terms of water surface area combine to develop this type of storm.

History proves the study correct, and the central Mediterranean region has witnessed many storms.

It is worth noting that historically, the Mediterranean Sea has been exposed to weather patterns (Mediterranean storms), some of which have reached the strength of a first-degree tropical cyclone. Perhaps the clearest example of Mediterranean hurricanes is what happened in mid-January 1995, when a hurricane formed in the central Mediterranean, in the maritime area between Italy, Greece and Libya, which is the same area referred to in the study as the most active in Mediterranean storms. Almost the same maritime areas also witnessed the formation of a Mediterranean hurricane in 2014, called Storm Gandrisa, which mainly affected parts of Sicily and Malta, with heavy rains, hail showers and strong winds reaching speeds of 150 km/h.

Cold upper basins are the nucleus of Mediterranean storms.

Cold air masses coming from the north are considered the main factor in the formation of such weather systems, as the encounter of this cold air with the warm, humid air coming from the south leads to the formation of a surface depression, coinciding with the warming of sea water to more than 20 degrees Celsius, in addition to the presence of very turbulent weather conditions.

The warming of the Mediterranean Sea is considered a fertile environment for the formation of Mediterranean storms next fall. What is the role of climate change?

Mediterranean storms are tropical cyclone-like weather phenomena that occur in the Mediterranean Sea. The name "medicane" comes from the combination of the words "mediterranean" and " hurricane ". These storms have characteristics similar to tropical cyclones, such as calm eyes and strong winds that rotate around the center. The sea temperature is the fuel for this type of weather, but it requires special atmospheric conditions, such as the separation of a cold upper trough from the general jet stream circulation and its long stay over the water, to begin to acquire tropical-like characteristics.

God knows best.