Bad weather in Sicily: hurricane Medicane on its way.
Sicily is still in check after days of bad weather. The hardest hit area is the southeast, where a violent cyclone has struck and a hurricane is on its way.
Red alert in Sicily for bad weather
Water still gives no respite to Sicily, which remains in a state of emergency. For days now, incessant rain has been falling on the island, with strong repercussions especially in the Catania area. Some of the images in fact show the overflow of the Simeto River, the unusability of the western ring road, closed in Gravina, and the flooding of theGaribaldi Hospital and the ancient market ‘‘La Pescheria,” in Catania.
Flooding within built-up areas and in countryside areas
Schools remain closed in several provinces (updated list here), as do stores in some areas. Increasing landslides, mud on tracks, fallen trees and light poles. Damages are already being counted foragriculture: in fact, water bombs destroyed cultivated fields and prevented the harvest of many products. It is also expected to worsen in the Palermo area between October 28 and 29 .
Flooding in Catania, Ansa photos (from La Stampa) –(Here, some VIDEO)
Hurricane Medicane coming: when it is expected and what to expect
As the Sicilian Newspaper informs, the portion of the channel between the Ionian and Libyan Seas has warmed, with temperatures rising 8 degrees above average. This is leading to the formation of an extra tropical cyclonic structure. Specifically, it is a Category 1 hurricane that can register winds of up to 120 km/h and waves of 5m. It has been named Medicane, from MediTerranean hurriCane.
Edoardo Ferrara, 3bMeteo expert, warns that: “Unfortunately, the flooding weather of the past few days could be just an appetizer for a new and even more severe wave of bad weather that could hit the island between Thursday and Friday, when the cyclone would appear to make “landfall” once it strengthens near Malta. New heavy rain and cloudbursts with gale-force winds will thus be possible. But also easterly gusts (sometimes over 70-80km/h) and violent swells on the Ionian coasts with waves (2-3 meters). In particular, the areas of Ragusa, Syracuse and Catania will be affected.”
Flooding between Catania and Syracuse – Photo from Ansa
But what are the causes of the hurricane?
In these hours, Sicily is experiencing one of the most difficult times recorded in its history due to extremely violent weather episodes. But this is not the only out-of-the-ordinary occurrence: in the summer just past, the thermometer touched 48.8 degrees Celsius, a temperature never before reached beyond the record set in Athens in 1977.
These are significant figures that make one think about the effects of global warming. Environmentalist Mario Tozzi confirmed how this phenomenon causes rainfall to increase in frequency and intensity(Agi interview).
Antonio Navarra, president of the Euro-Mediterranean Climate Change Center (EMCC) and professor of meteorology and oceanography at the University of Bologna, was also interviewed on the subject by Corriere della Sera.
“Sicily,” says the scientist, “already shows clear signs of a significantly changed reality. The whole area is already a hot spot, a hot spot of geography. Now we are trying to understand whether with climate change these phenomena will become even more intense. Whether they will change their character by becoming more frequent. We do not yet have definitive results, but we are committed to deciphering the most critical elements. Of course, Sicily because of its location already suffers significant negative effects.”
(here, the entire interview).
This is information that can no longer go unnoticed. Indeed, they should give pause for thought to try to reverse course as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, in Magna Sicilia ‘s network we join in the condolences of the families of those bereaved in this tragedy and stand by our land, to support it in resilience and recovery.
Clarissa Marchese