Sept. 28 (UPI) -- An infrequent type of storm known as a "Medicane" -- because of its hurricane-like features and impact on the Mediterranean -- is on track for Greece and Turkey this weekend, forecasters said.

The storm in the south Ionian Sea early Friday was headed due north, according to Severe Weather Europe, but it's expected to take a sharp east-northeast turn Friday evening and move toward Greece early Saturday.

"It will then continue across southern Greece and effect both Peloponnese and Crete island with extremely severe winds and storms with flash floods threat," Severe Weather Europe said. "Medicane will be then traveling across Aegean sea on Sunday and make landfall in western Turkey."

"High risk for extreme rainfall amounts remains in place," it added, forecasting 10 to 20 inches of rain in some areas and nearly 30 in the eastern Peloponnese.

Peak wind gusts as strong as 93 mph, Category 1 hurricane strength, are forecast along the Medicane's track.

Greece is preparing for the storm threat, having already seen gale-force winds of more than 60 mph. Ferries remained in port Thursday, cutting off the connection between the Greek islands and the mainland, the Independent reported.

Strong winds have already uprooted trees onto power lines in Athens and the fire department has received 500 calls to remove debris. Schools in Athens also closed Friday and severe weather warnings were issued through Sunday.

The storm has already caused flash flooding across Tunisia and Libya.

Only about one to two "Medicanes" occur per year, according to a 2011 study, usually during September and October when Mediterranean Sea temperatures are warmest.</s>01:16 Pattern Change Bringing Heat to the South Meteorologist Danielle Banks looks at a pattern change that's bringing hot temperatures to the South.

At a Glance A low pressure system from the Mediterranean Sea is moving across Greece.

The system will bring heavy rain and gusty winds to Greece and Turkey this weekend.

Up to two Mediterranean cyclones occur each year.

A medicane, or tropical storm strength system, is moving through Greece from the Mediterranean Sea and could bring heavy rain to parts of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria into Monday.

The center of this system moved into southern Greece midday Saturday, local time.

Severe wind warnings are in effect for portions of northern and central Greece through Monday, according to meteoalarm.

High winds across Greece have already caused tree and power line damage. Schools are closed in parts of Greece, including the capital city of Athens.

As of early Saturday afternoon local time, winds have gusted up to 55 mph with sustained wind close to 50 mph in parts of southern Greece.

Heavy rain has drenched much of central and western Greece. At least one spot has had more than 10 inches of rain (or 250 mm).

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://s.w-x.co/medicane_rain.png" srcset="https://s.w-x.co/medicane_rain.png 400w, https://s.w-x.co/medicane_rain.png 800w" > Rainfall totals from Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 in Greece. (National Observatory of Athens, Greece) (National Observatory of Athens, Greece)

The system intensified to a 989 millibar low very early Friday but has weakened to 994 millibars as of Friday morning, as estimated by the U.K Met Office between Sicily, Malta and Greece.

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/sunday_greece_bulgaria_medicane.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/sunday_greece_bulgaria_medicane.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/sunday_greece_bulgaria_medicane.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > The medicane will bring heavy rain to parts of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria on Sunday and Monday as it moves northeastward.

This low-pressure system will be picked up and accelerated toward western Turkey and Bulgaria on Sunday.

Heavy rainfall is the main threat from this medicane. Some spots will see more than 5 inches (125 mm) of rain in Greece, but many will see 1 to 3 inches (25-75 mm) of rain from Greece to western Turkey and southern Bulgaria. Landslides are possible, especially in more mountainous locations.

The worst conditions are expected in northern Greece on Sunday following a Peloponnese landfall on Saturday.

Some wind gusts over 40 mph are possible with the system as it progresses northeastward through Greece and Turkey on Sunday.

Storm Reports

The disturbance began to bring rain to northern Libya and Tunisia since last weekend. It caused severe flooding in Nabeul, Tunisia, or roughly 40 miles southeast of Tunisia's largest city, Tunis, last Saturday.

While shooting eastward across the Gulf of Sidra, located near Libya, the system dumped up to 8 inches of rain in Nabeul, unfortunately unleashing flash flooding. The flooding killed at least four people and damaged homes, bridges, roads and fields, according to the Associated Press.

What is a Medicane?

Medicanes are essentially subtropical systems that rely on colder air aloft, which is typically brought in as part of an upper-level low that decays over the Mediterranean, and the moderately warm water of the Mediterranean itself. The contrast between the cold air aloft and the relatively warm sea-surface temperatures can stimulate the formation of showers and thunderstorms.

These batches of thunderstorms can sometimes form into a distinct low-pressure system and can develop a cloud-free, eye-like feature, which may explain where the name "medicane" comes from. Most medicanes do not reach hurricane strength.

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/medicane_explainer.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/medicane_explainer.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/medicane_explainer.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > Differences between a hurricane and a medicane.

Medicanes form roughly once or twice per year, generally in the autumn and winter months when dips in the jet stream can spawn low-pressure systems over the water. None of the world’s meteorological agencies are tasked with monitoring medicanes, so countless such storms have no doubt gone unrecognized , especially before routine satellite monitoring began.

Some Mediterranean storms have gotten names in recent years by private companies, including Numa in 2017.

Medicanes are most likely to develop in two hot spots, according to a long-term climatology published in 2014 in Climate Dynamics . The most favored area for development is in the western Mediterranean, especially between Spain and the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. The other hot spot is the Ionian Sea, especially just southeast of Malta and the Italian Peninsula.

The topography of the Ionian Sea may play at least some role in enhancing the formation of these systems. The curved nature of the coastline between Italy's boot and western Greece may assist in turning winds in a counterclockwise manner for the formation of a low-pressure system.

This Has Happened Before

The area of the Mediterranean Sea is not usually conducive for the development of tropical systems, as it is relatively shallow and there are many land areas that typically hinder tropical development.

However, one such medicane formed just last year on Halloween and was known as Tropical Storm 90M. This storm developed in a similar area over the Ionian Sea, between the west coast of Greece and southern Italy, where potential development will be monitored late this week.

(MORE: Why Half of Named Storms Have Been Subtropical and the Caribbean Sea Has Been a Graveyard )

Before this low became a tropical storm, it created high surf, which resulted in minor damage to the coast of Malta.

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/medicane-30oct16-suominpp.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/medicane-30oct16-suominpp.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/medicane-30oct16-suominpp.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > High-resolution visible image from the Suomi NPP satellite of the Mediterranean Sea tropical cyclone on Oct. 30, 2016. (NASA Worldview) (NASA Worldview)

Other recent occurrences in November have also been recorded. One such case was in November 2014 when an area of low pressure became tropical-like. This system moved near Malta, where a gust of 95 mph was recorded.

In early November 2011, another area of low pressure transitioned to a subtropical storm, if not a tropical storm. NOAA/NESDIS designated this system 01M, and the Free University of Berlin gave it the name Rolf. This system made landfall in southeastern France.

Up to 2 feet of rain was reported with this system, which resulted in landslides and flooding in portions of France, Spain and Italy and the deaths of 12 people.

Some of the information is from a Weather Underground blog , written in 2017 by Bob Henson. Information from the Associated Press is also used in this article.</s>Dr. Jeff Masters ·

Above: MODIS visible satellite image of a Medicane located to the southwest of Greece on Saturday morning, September 29, 2018. Image credit: NASA Worldview.

A deep area of low pressure with tropical storm-like characteristics that formed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea on Thursday night made landfall in the southwest Peloponnese of Greece on Saturday, with the center crossing just west of Kalamata. The pressure fell as low as 989.3 mb in Kalamata near 12Z Saturday as the center passed, with sustained 10-minute average winds of 34 mph and a peak wind gust of 55 mph recorded at 12:20Z. In the Greek islands, sustained tropical storm-force winds of 41 mph (10-minute average) with gusts as high as 55 mph were measured at Strofades between 9Z – 9:30Z, and sustained 10-minute average winds of 46 mph were measured at Rodos at 7:20Z. The meteo.gr twitter feed is showing a video of a waterspout that moved over land from the Medicane. A PWS in Pylos recorded 2.54” of rain and a peak wind gust of 54 mph. A PWS in Voutsaras recorded 4.35” of rain and a peak wind gust of 65 mph.

Figure 1. ASCAT image of Saturday’s Medicane, showing peak winds of 40 – 45 knots (45 – 50 mph, purple barbs) off the southwest coast of Greece. Image credit: NOAA.

The Mesoscale discussion from Estofex, the European Storm Forecast Experiment, had this to say about the storm:

The intensity estimate now suggests a Dvorak T4.0 number of 4.0 and a central pressure of 987 mb, as well as marginal hurricane wind speed of 33 m/s (65 kt). At 12 UTC Kalamata, a little north of the centre, reported a pressure of 989 mb, which corroborates this intensity estimate. Near hurricane-force winds are affecting the far southern Peleponnese and the Cyclades. Torrential rainfall is expected to be the most important hazard though. Severe flash floods with possible landslides are possible, particular in Southeastern Peloponnese, Attica, Euboia, and Eastern Thessaly where 100-300 mm storm totals are expected. These amounts are forecast for other regions:



Central and Eastern Makedonia: 80-160 mm

Western and Central Peloponnese, Central Greece, Southern and Western Crete, Turkish coastal regions from Kash until Canakkale: 30-100 mm

Cyclades: 30-60 mm



Additionally, storm surge of 1 to 1.5 m are likely on the Peloponnese coast.



Finally, there is a risk of tornadoes in the northeast quadrant of the cyclone, where long curved low-level hodographs are present, primarily affecting southern Peloponnese and Attica.

#medicane #Zorbas making landfall in Greece! Spectacular tropical structure of the system, with an eye/eyewall and DCO with spiral outflow. Threats for severe winds, torrential rainfall and flash floods and tornadoes! Video: @meteociel pic.twitter.com/AqREZRip4Y — severe-weather.EU (@severeweatherEU) September 29, 2018

This storm formed over waters with sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of around 27°C (81°F), and was classifiable as an extratropical storm initially. The system spent enough time over warm waters, though, that it developed a warm core and began using the heat energy of the ocean as its primary energy source, becoming a hybrid storm that was not fully tropical nor extratropical (phase space diagrams from Florida State University suggest that the Medicane was not fully tropical). These type of storms in the Mediterranean are called “Medicanes” due to their hurricane-like structure, but they are weaker than a hurricane.

Major flash floods under the effects of #medicane #Zorba in Kiato, northern Corinthia, Peloponnese this afteroon, Sept 29. Report: ΡΙΑ ΔΟΥΒΗ pic.twitter.com/RQu3Lj8JCn — severe-weather.EU (@severeweatherEU) September 29, 2018

The Medicane is expected to move east-northeast along the south shore Greece’s Peloponnese on Saturday, bringing sustained winds near 30 - 35 mph over the ocean and 20 - 25 mph inland. By Sunday, the storm will weaken due to land interaction and cooler SSTs, and turn more to the northeast, affecting western Turkey. The greatest danger from the storm is heavy rain. According to Severe Weather Europe, recent model runs predict 4 – 6” of rain along the track of the storm, through southern Greece and into extreme western Turkey.

Thanks go to all the WU commenters that posted about this storm; I included a number of them in this post.</s>Medicane Zorbas, a Mediterranean hurricane-like storm, will target southeastern Europe with a deluge of rain throughout the weekend after sparking flash floodings in Tunisia and Lybia erarlier in the week. A shocking STV graphic shows Zorbas strenghtening in the Mediterranean later on Friday before moving towards the southeast of Europe between Saturday and Sunday. The southern mainland of Greece, the Cyclades Islands, Crete, Rhodes and the Kos area are expected to be the worst hit, according to the latest path track. Medicane Zorbas will steadily move towards Turkey where it is expected to hit near the city of Izmir on the Aegean coast.

The Hellenic National Metereological Office has issued a severe weather warning for the Ionian islands on Greece's western coast – including Corfu, Ithaca and Cephalonia. Forecasters have warned Crete and other southern Greek islands can expect as much as 6 inches of rain over the coming days. Izmir and the Greek city of Kalamata could see 2 to 3 inches. AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys said: "At this time, the heaviest rain is expected to fall on the northern and western side of Crete, as well as the other southern Greek islands and southwestern coast of Turkey. "There can be widespread gusts of 60 mph across coastal Crete into southwestern Turkey. Gusts to 80 and 90 mph cannot be ruled out across the southern coast of Crete and the southwestern coast of Turkey."

The coastal area east of capital Athens are also under threat of flash flooding as the area struggles to recover from the devastating fires that killed 99 people over the summer. Mr Roys warned sea levels could build up to 16 feet in areas south of Crete: "Seas this weekend can build to 10-16 feet south of Crete and the waters offshore of southwestern Turkey. Some of the highest seas can reach 22 feet." Medicane Zorbas also reached Italy on Thursday and earlier Friday, forcing authorities to ask locals to be vigilant and stay safe. The popular tourist areas of Abruzzo, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily are expected to be among the worst affected. MeteoAlarm have put amber weather warnings in place across the south of the country, saying: “Damage and casualties are likely to happen. Be aware of the risks. Follow any advice given by your authorities.” Only about 1-2 Medicanes occur per year, according to 2011 study published by several academics and a researcher from the Institute of Coastal Research. The powerful storms usually happen during September and October when sea surface temperatures are still quite warm, but they can occur at any time of the year.</s>ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A powerful Mediterranean storm brought torrential rain to southern Greece as civil protection services remained on alert across most of the country Saturday despite word that the turbulent weather had lost force as it moved east.

Winds of up to 90 kph (55 mph) were reported as the storm moved past the southwestern tip of the Peloponnese. It then lashed the northeastern part of the peninsula and traveled closer to Athens, the Greek capital.

People were evacuated from the eastern Peloponnese seaside village of Nea Kios, which was partly flooded and without electricity. Elsewhere in the Peloponnese region, rivers overflowed and some damage has been reported.

The Hellenic Fire Service reported that calls had come in from towns near the city of Corinth requesting help rescuing people from cars trapped in flooded streets and evacuating residents from homes.

The powerful storm — which was being called Zorba locally — was expected to bring heavy rain to the greater Athens area on Saturday as it rolled toward islands in the Aegean Sea and along Turkey’s coast. All ferry service from mainland ports near Athens was cancelled.

Police said traffic on the main highway between Athens and the Peloponnese was closed some 54 kilometers (34 miles) west of the capital due to flooding.

A flight from London to the southwestern city of Kalamata was diverted to Athens, but weather-related flight delays were limited.</s>People in Greece and Turkey are bracing themselves for a rare and powerful hurricane-type storm in southern Europe’s Mediterranean region, due to hit this weekend.

The storm, often called a “Medicane” (Mediterranean + hurricane) has features similar to hurricanes and typhoons.

According to a study published in 2011, only about 1-2 “Medicanes” occur per year. These powerful storms usually happen during the months of September and October, when sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean are still quite warm, although they can occur at any time of year.

The current storm, called Zorba, triggered flash flooding across Tunisia and Libya over the past few days before moving north over the Mediterranean towards Europe.

Over the sea, the storm is likely to pick up more tropical-like features normally associated with hurricanes, such as gale-force winds and even an eye in its center.

The area currently most under threat are the Ionian islands on Greece’s western coast where the Hellenic National Meterological Office has put out a severe warning.

The system is expected to move slowly over the island of Crete and southern Greece on Saturday before picking up speed and heading into western Turkey on Sunday.

On Crete and other southern islands of Greece, as much as 4 to 6 inches (100 to 150 millimeters) of rain could fall, which could lead to flash flooding. Cities like Izmir, Turkey, and Kalamata, Greece, could see 2 to 3 inches (50 to 60 milllimeters).

That is cause for concern in the Aegean islands, including Lesbos, where thousands of refugees, many from Syria and Iraq, are being held in crowded conditions. Also under threat is the coastal area east of Athens recently devastated by the worst fires on record that killed 99 people.

A number of ferry services connecting Athens to the islands, were not allowed to operate for the last two days but have now largely resumed. Many flights were also grounded due to the strong winds.

Schools in Athens remained closed Friday for precautionary reasons after the gale force winds knocked out power lines in several Greater Athens areas while a felled tree destroyed the roof of a school in western Athens.

Civil protection services will be on alert throughout the weekend, the government said. Civilians have been advised to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel.

Fortunately, the Medicane will likely get absorbed into the upper-level jet stream and will not linger over southeastern Europe, which will limit the amount of flooding from the storm.

Recent major systems such as hurricanes Harvey and Florence produced catastrophic flooding because of their slow-moving nature.</s>Athens, Greece (AP) — Greece’s civil protection services went on alert Thursday as the country braced for the threat of a cyclone, forest fires prompted evacuations on an island and an earthquake rattled the south of the country.

Gale-force winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour slammed into Greece from the west, and meteorologists warned about the possibility of a cyclone in the Ionian Sea.

The high winds forced ferries to remain in port Thursday, severing Greek islands’ connection to the mainland. The strong winds toppled trees onto power lines in the northern suburbs of Athens, with the fire department saying it received more than 500 calls to remove debris.

Authorities in the Saronic municipality near Athens, on the Ionian island of Zakynthos and the Aegean islands of Tinos, Andros and Mykonos ordered schools to remain shut. Schools in greater Athens will also be closed Friday.

On the western island of Kefallonia, several villages were evacuated as wildfire was being fanned by the strong winds. The island’s emergency services were on alert as weather conditions were expected to worsen.

Meteorologists warned of the high probability that a Mediterranean cyclone known as a medicane — which combines the words Mediterranean and hurricane — could form Friday in the Ionian Sea southwest of the Greek mainland.

Severe weather warnings were issued through Sunday, with the storm expected to gradually move eastward.

The Institute of Geodynamics, meanwhile, said an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0 struck off the western coast of southern Greece.

No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

Thursday’s quake had an epicenter beneath the seabed 34 kilometers southwest of the town of Pylos, 245 kilometers southwest of the capital, Athens. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center gave the preliminary magnitude as 5.2.

Greece is in a highly seismically active region and earthquakes are frequent. The vast majority are small and those causing severe damage or loss of life are rare.</s>ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s civil protection services went on alert Thursday as the country braced for the threat of a cyclone, forest fires prompted evacuations on an island and an earthquake rattled the south…

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s civil protection services went on alert Thursday as the country braced for the threat of a cyclone, forest fires prompted evacuations on an island and an earthquake rattled the south of the country.

Gale-force winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) slammed into Greece from the west, and meteorologists warned about the possibility of a cyclone in the Ionian Sea.

The high winds forced ferries to remain in port Thursday, severing Greek islands’ connection to the mainland. The strong winds toppled trees onto power lines in the northern suburbs of Athens, with the fire department saying it received more than 500 calls to remove debris.

Authorities in the Saronic municipality near Athens, on the Ionian island of Zakynthos and the Aegean islands of Tinos, Andros and Mykonos ordered schools to remain shut. Schools in greater Athens will also be closed Friday.

On the western island of Kefallonia, several villages were evacuated as wildfire was being fanned by the strong winds. The island’s emergency services were on alert as weather conditions were expected to worsen.

Meteorologists warned of the high probability that a Mediterranean cyclone known as a medicane — which combines the words Mediterranean and hurricane — could form Friday in the Ionian Sea southwest of the Greek mainland.

Severe weather warnings were issued through Sunday, with the storm expected to gradually move eastward.

The Institute of Geodynamics, meanwhile, said an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0 struck off the western coast of southern Greece.

No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

Thursday’s quake had an epicenter beneath the seabed 34 kilometers (21 miles) southwest of the town of Pylos, 245 kilometers (152 miles) southwest of the capital, Athens. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center gave the preliminary magnitude as 5.2.

Greece is in a highly seismically active region and earthquakes are frequent. The vast majority are small and those causing severe damage or loss of life are rare.

Follow Becatoros at http://www.twitter.com/ElenaBec and Gatopoulos at http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>A woman holding an umbrella tries to protect herself from the wind and rain as she walks on a dock at the port of Rafina, near Athens, Friday. Greece's civil protection services announced that authorities were on full alert ahead of the arrival of a tropical-like cyclone as they warned the public to expect winds between 80 and 100kph (9-10 Beaufort) with heavy rain and storms, especially in the southern Peloponnese, Crete and western Cyclades islands. [Yannis Kolesidis/EPA]</s>Meteorologists are warning of a high probability of a tropical-like cyclone forming in off the coast of Greece, as gale-force winds continue to batter the country and force the closure of schools.

The Mediterranean hurricane, also known as a medicane, is likely to form in the Ionian Sea to the southwest of the Greek mainland tomorrow.

Holidaymakers in Greece and Turkey are bracing for torrential rain and winds of up to 100mph.

Some parts of the island of Sicily and Greece could see three inches of rain, reported Weather.com.

Medicanes are tropical-like thunderstorms which occur once or twice a year.

Although most do not have hurricane strength, forecasters say this one may reach a similar strength to a Category 1 hurricane.

While this is the lowest on the scale used to measure hurricane intensity, storms at this level can still cause significant damage to weakly rooted trees, unanchored buildings or mobile homes.

BBC weather presenter Ben Rich explained last night that the storm is 'driven in part by the very warm waters of the Mediterranean sea but also a blob of cold air high up in the atmosphere.'

The Medicane is set to strike tourist hotspots this week, with ferries stuck in ports today, severing islands' connection to the mainland.

Trees have fallen on power lines in the capital's northern suburbs, while the fire department said it received more than 350 calls to remove debris.

Authorities in the Saronic municipality near Athens, on the Ionian island of Zakynthos and the Aegean islands of Tinos, Andros and Mykonos ordered schools to remain shut.
A Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone (also known as a "Medicane") strikes Greece near Kalamata, causing power outages and gale force winds near the capital Athens. In the storm's formative stages, heavy rains killed four people in Tunisia.