Well this is an unusual event - a cut-off low has begun to look very much like a well organised tropical cyclone in the Eastern Mediterranean, south of Sicily:

Hopefully sat24.com won't mind this one image being posted here on this special occasion.

Here's the associated report in the European Severe Weather Database:

http://www.essl.org/cgi-bin/eswd/eswd.cgi

"A warm core cyclone acquired tropical caracteristic over central Mediterranean sea, closed circulation and thunderstorm convectiv, 94 km/h (51 kt) wind and 983 hpa over Linosa island, 49 KT wind report from ship Ocean Destiny, 49 kt wind report from ship Alpine Persefone..."

This ASCAT pass shows the strong winds associated with the system, sustained at over 50 knots going by this satellite estimate. The tight nature of the circulation further supports the classification as a tropical cyclone.

From what I've read so far, these can also be called 'Medicanes'.

Wasn't there a similar occurrence about three or four years ago? It also took place at about the same time in the year involving the same kind of mechanics but a little further to the west (over Sardinia).

They are called medicanes, they have a frequency of about 1 per 4 years if I'm not mistaken.

Sounds about right Q - rare, but still more reliable than settling snow in Bournemouth 

The current one seems particularly impressive to my eye, with a large, quite symmetrical circulation. It's also holding together rather well as it skirts the SE corner of Sicily. Must be pretty rough down there right now.

A friend of mine is sailing from Athens this afternoon, on a cruise to Rome. I joked with her that the latest forecast suggests gale force wind, heavy rain, thunderstorms, and rough seas.....oops!! 

This is a sight to behold, there is a polar low 'arctic hurricane' to the NW of scotland. To see two psedohurricanes in europe at the same time is pretty rare. Both will be gone by tommorow. 

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