Three dead so far as rare Medicane hits Greece

[malaise]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/greece-lashed-by-rare-hurricane-force-storm
<snip>
Greek civil protection authorities have been put on maximum alert after a Mediterranean cyclone made landfall, battering the west of the country and many of its popular Ionian islands.

Meteorologists predicted the storm, a rare weather phenomenon referred to as a “medicane” (Mediterranean hurricane), would pick up speed as it crossed the sea and moved south.

By mid-afternoon on Friday, emergency services were reporting countless calls from citizens trapped in cars along a stretch of highway in central Greece. A boat carrying dozens of migrants was stranded at sea, with coastguard officials saying high winds meant rescue boats were unable to approach the vessel.

Hurricane-force winds whipped the islands of Cephalonia, Zakynthos and Ithaca overnight, causing devastation but no known injuries. State-run TV showed footage of upturned boats, uprooted trees, and damaged homes, cars and rooftops. Beaches were dotted with broken loungers and umbrellas. In places it reported “the land had become sea”.

[WhiteTara]

1. it's 2020 so it fits

that there would be a rare medicane!

[marmar]

2. Crazy. I can't honestly say that I ever remember a Mediterranean hurricane....

..... at least since I've been paying attention to weather events.

[malaise]

3. History here

Post-tropical storm Alpha also hit Spain and Portugal last week Friday

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_tropical-like_cyclone#:~:text=Mediterranean%20tropical%2Dlike%20cyclones%2C%20often,observed%20over%20the%20Mediterranean%20Sea.

[Sympthsical]

4. They're not uncommon

But they tend to be weaker than Atlantic storms. With climate change, one of the predictions is that the wind intensity will grow stronger as the planet warms, causing more destruction along coasts.

The reason this one is being made note of is because the winds were at the higher end of what is observed with Mediterranean storms.