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The Mediterranean sea is capable of generating hurricanes and climate change will make them worse

The Conversation · · 882 words · By Davide Faranda; Emmanouil Flaounas
climate_change Meteorology/Medicanes Scientific Research and Preparedness

The article explains the nature of 'medicanes,' which are tropical-like cyclones in the Mediterranean region, and discusses how rising sea temperatures linked to climate change may intensify them. It emphasizes the need for continued scientific research and international collaboration to improve early warning systems and civil protection.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/the-mediterranean-sea-is-capable-of-generating-hurri…

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 6
schedule Pending 5
check_circle Corroborated 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
verified
“In March 2026, a tropical-like cyclone named ‘Jolina’ produced significant damage across North Africa.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia explicitly identifies 'Storm Samuel' as also known as 'Storm Jolina', describing it as a March 2026 Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone (medicane) that impacted the Central Mediterranean.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Storm Samuel, also known as Medicane Samuel or Storm Jolina, was a rare March Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone (medicane) that impacted the Central Mediterranean in March 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Samuel
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web search NEUTRAL — On March 1, 2026, a major rockfall occurred in the village of Fjæra (Etne municipality, Vestland county, Norway), colliding with European Highway E134 along the Åkra Fjord. Rocks weighing several tons…
https://www.tiktok.com/@climate_news/video/76188533842792973…
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web search NEUTRAL — Jolina caused damage to agriculture worth ₱179.57 million in Eastern Visayas, ₱436,610 in Western Visayas, ₱16.5 million in the Bicol region, and ₱9.56 million in Mimaropa, the NDRRMC reported on Thur…
https://www.newswatchplus.ph/2021/09/09/ndrrmc-jolina-leaves…
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“In 2020 and 2023, storms Ianos and Daniel both caused severe damage in Greece”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that both Storm Daniel (2023) and Cyclone Ianos (2020) caused severe damage in Greece.
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web search NEUTRAL — Storm Daniel on 5 September 2023. Villages on and near the Black Sea coast in Burgas Province, including Kosti and Arapya, became submerged, forcing evacuations.Cyclone Ianos (2020) – a strong medican…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Daniel
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web search NEUTRAL — Severe storms can cause widespread damage to forests, buildings, and transport and energy infrastructure.Cyclone Ianos, also known as Medicane Ianos, was a rare medicane that impacted the eastern Medi…
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f029c2d515fd4947b7d765f…
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web search NEUTRAL — PDF | During 15-21 September 2020, an intense medicane, named Ianos, formed over the warm Mediterranean Sea.hurricane-force wind speeds in south Greece and causing severe flooding in central Greece.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354912130_Ianos_-_A…
info
“the latter [storm Daniel] triggered a humanitarian disaster in the city of Derna, Libya, where thousands were declared dead or missing.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic weather tracking pages (NOAA, StormTracking) and does not mention Storm Daniel, Derna, or the casualties in Libya.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Oct 22, 2025 · Track severe weather in real time with the NOAA Storm Reports interactive map. View tornadoes, large hail & damaging wind reports across the US. Free.
https://mapscaping.com/noaa-storm-reports-interactive-map/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Track severe weather with live radar maps and real-time alerts from NOAA/NWS. Free interactive weather radar for winter storms, hurricanes, and more.
https://stormtracking.io/
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web search NEUTRAL — NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service Fire Weather Concerns and Severe Thunderstorms through the Weekend Dry and windy conditions, and some dry thunderstorms and lightning, may suppor…
https://www.weather.gov/
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“They are known as ‘medicanes’ – a portmanteau of Mediterranean and hurricanes.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources, including Wikipedia and news/educational sites, confirm that 'medicanes' is a portmanteau of Mediterranean and hurricanes.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones, often referred to as Mediterranean cyclones or Mediterranean hurricanes, and shortened as medicanes, are meteorological phenomena occasionally observed over the M…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_tropical-like_cy…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Medicanes. Tropical Cyclones (Hurricanes/Typhoons). Formation Location. Mediterranean Sea.Much like tropical cyclones, medicanes are also responsible for strong winds and large amounts of rain that ca…
https://greenly.earth/en-us/blog/ecology-news/medicanes-the-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Medicanes are not technically hurricanes, despite the similar nomenclature; after all, “medicane” is a portmanteau of “Mediterranean” and “hurricane.” Despite this, they can deliver hurricane-strength…
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/19/meet-the-medic…
info
“the total population of Mediterranean countries in 2020 was about 540 million people, around one-third of them living in coastal areas”
SINGLE SOURCE
While a ResearchGate result mentions a figure regarding the population of Mediterranean countries and coastal areas, the snippet does not provide the actual numbers (540 million or one-third) to verify the claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea situated between Europe, Asia, and Africa.Total annual precipitation is significantly higher on the European part of the Mediterranean basin, especiall…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea
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web search NEUTRAL — Copy caption. Embed figure. Total population of Mediterranean countries & Coastal areas (million).Join ResearchGate to access over 30 million figures and 160+ million publications – all in one place.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Total-population-of-Medi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Population of the United States: current, historical, and projected population, growth rate, immigration, median age, total fertility rate (TFR), population density, urbanization, urban population, co…
https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population…
info
“One of the earliest research papers on the subject, in 1983, opened with the sentence: “At times, Mother Nature does her best to deceive us””
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results mention research on medicanes and the storm Apollo, but none of the provided snippets contain the specific quote 'At times, Mother Nature does her best to deceive us' from a 1983 paper.
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web search NEUTRAL — Access 160+ million publication pages and connect with 25+ million researchers. Join for free and gain visibility by uploading your research.
https://www.researchgate.net/
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web search NEUTRAL — A parallel line of research on medicanes is to attribute their characteristics to climate change. In [8], the authors analyzed the role of climate change in the triggering of medicane Apollo, which hi…
https://xaida.eu/medicanes-and-climate-change/
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web search NEUTRAL — Medicanes tend to form in the autumn when the sea is warm, usually in the western Mediterranean and the region between the Ionian Sea and the north African coast, explained Suzanne Gray, a professor a…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/15/what-are-medic…
info
“In 2025, a collective research effort produced a formal definition of this once counterintuitive phenomenon.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The ISAC source mentions that the term 'medicane' has been used inconsistently and that there is an effort to define it, but the provided snippets do not explicitly confirm that a formal definition was produced specifically in 2025.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones, often referred to as Mediterranean cyclones or Mediterranean hurricanes, and shortened as medicanes, are meteorological phenomena occasionally observed over the M…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_tropical-like_cy…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — However, the term “medicane” (Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone) has been used inconsistently in the scientific literature, causing confusion both in the scientific community and in meteorological s…
https://www.isac.cnr.it/en/the-definition-of-medicane-publis…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The term “Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone” or “medicane” has been used in different ways by different authors. Identification of medicanes has been based on features observed from satellite imager…
https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/publications/defining-m…
info
“Events that meet this formal definition occur on average less than three times per year.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim is completely irrelevant, discussing the Atlanta Hawks NBA team instead of meteorological data.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Stay updated with the latest Atlanta Hawks scores, stats, and news on the official NBA site. Get exclusive team insights and game highlights now!
https://www.nba.com/hawks/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Visit ESPN for Atlanta Hawks live scores, video highlights, and latest news. Find standings and the full 2025-26 season schedule.
https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/atl/atlanta-hawks
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · The latest Atlanta Hawks news, rumors, and free agency updates from the insider fans and analysts at Soaring Down South.
https://soaringdownsouth.com/
help
“According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service Atlas, the Mediterranean warmed by approximately 0.4°C per decade during the 1990–2020 period”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for the Copernicus Climate Change Service Atlas data regarding the 0.4°C warming per decade.
info
“A recent study demonstrating links between the intensity of a Mediterranean medicane and climate change appeared in 2022 and focused on the storm “Apollo”, showed that warmer sea surface temperatures and a warmer atmosphere increased moisture availability and heavy rainfall over Sicily.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One source mentions a study analyzing the role of climate change in triggering medicane Apollo, which hit Sicily in October 2021, causing flooding. However, the claim specifies a 2022 study; while the timeline is consistent, only one source corroborates the general link between Apollo and climate change.
schedule
“Later analyses of Daniel also found that extreme precipitation over the eastern Mediterranean and Libya was intensified by climate change.”
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“Today, climameter.org, an international consortium which rapid attribution studies with a peer-reviewed protocol, monitors medicanes and Mediterranean cyclones through rapid attribution studies of emerging extremes.”
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“One such effort is the MEDICANES project of the European Space Agency”
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“The AXA science philanthropy is now part of the AXA Foundation for Human Progress”
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“Before 2025, the global science philanthropy was held by the AXA Research Fund, which has supported over 750 projects around the world since its inception back in 2007.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.