How do Mediterranean cyclones resemble hurricanes? This study investigates the development of a rare hurricane-like vortex over the Mediterranean Sea in January 1995 using the UK Met. Office Unified Model. The Mediterranean cyclone formed rapidly amidst strong convection, its lifecycle sustained by strong surface fluxes. Limited-area models accurately captured the system's surface and upper-air characteristics, including the presence of an ‘eye’ and a warm core. Baroclinic instability was found to be less influential, with numerical experiments demonstrating the vortex's dependence on surface heat and moisture fluxes. Sensible and latent heat fluxes played an equally important role in the cyclones development. This research provides compelling evidence of similarities between Mediterranean cyclones, tropical cyclones, and polar lows, contributing to a better understanding of these intense weather systems.
Published in Meteorological Applications, this study aligns well with the journal's focus on practical applications of meteorology. By analyzing a specific weather event (a Mediterranean cyclone) and assessing the performance of weather models in predicting its behavior, the paper contributes to the understanding and forecasting of meteorological phenomena, which is a key theme in the journal.