Medicane Xylona

Medicane Xylona (known as Ferdinand by FUB), was the most intense medicane on record, beating the previous record of Medicane Cornelia in 1996. Xylona was also the costliest medicane on record since Cleopatra in 2013. Xylona, which was the second storm of the highly active 2019-20 Mediterranean medicane season, attained estimated winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a pressure of 968 millibars (28.59 inHg), the most intense by pressure but not winds. Xylona was named by the Mediterranean Cyclone Center on September 11, 2019, as it was passing over the Balearic Islands. Xylona produced extreme damage in Sardinia, where it struck with winds of at least 80 mph (130 km/h). Xylona was also one of the most documented medicanes on record, even more so than Carlos (Zorbas) of the 2018-19 season. In the aftermath of the storm, many more things were discovered that were unknown about medicanes, such as how they form, how they strengthen, and what conditions allow them to rapidly intensify, which was previously unknown with storms like Carlos, Trixi, Cornelia, and Celeno. Xylona was also considered the worst medicane since Numa of the 2017-18 season. The origins of Xylona came from a very intense extratropical cyclone that ended up in the Cantabrian Sea. Xylona then crossed France and passed over the Balearic Islands. Xylona made two notable landfalls: one south of Oristano in Sardinia, and another in Sapri in Italy. Both of these landfalls were made at hurricane intensity, both causing major damage.

Meteorological history
On September 7, an extratropical cyclone that swept across the Hudson Bay had entered the Northern Atlantic Ocean. This cyclone had reached a pressure of 943 millibars (27.85 inHg) as it approached the Azores, causing gale force winds and high waves. The cyclone had gotten caught in a strong ridge, caused by a high pressure system to the southwest, swinging the system into the Cantabrian Sea, much similar to Subtropical Storm Stephanie in the 2016-17 season. The system had encountered some moderate shear, allowing the center of the system to split from the front. Shortly after however, the system made landfall in France and had lost most of its structure. The system re-emerged over the Mediterranean on September 11, becoming Medistorm Xylona, with an intensity of 30 mph and 1006 millibars. Xylona slowly moved over the Balearic Islands, in Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) of 34°C, allowing the system to quickly strengthen into a Severe Medistorm, with winds of 45 mph by the next advisory. The Mediterranean Cyclone Center had noted that the system was unexpectedly going through a rapid intensification stage, as they had previously predicted that dry air would intrude the system. As the system continued on its eastward trek, Xylona continued to rapidly intensify, becoming the first medicane of the season, with an intensity of 60 mph and 995 millibars as it was exiting the Balearic Islands, making its way to Sardinia. The Mediterranean Cyclone Center had predicted a fairly intense, direct hit on the island of Sardinia, which was expected to receive winds of at least hurricane force, according to the Mediterranean Cyclone Center. Around mid-day on September 12, the MCC upgraded Xylona into a major medicane, after having winds of 75 mph, just 50 miles off of the Sardinian coast. A special advisory was issued just before landfall in Sardinia, and the system further intensified with winds of 80 mph. At 14:15 UTC on September 12, Xylona made landfall just south of Oristano. Surprisingly, after passing over Sardinia, Xylona did not weaken as much as expected. Xylona remained a medicane as it exited the coast, still encountering favorable conditions. In the Tyrrhenian Sea, SSTs of 31°C were being recorded, along with low shear and little to no dry air. Before long, explosive intensification occurred.

In the Tyrrhenian Sea, Xylona began to rapidly intensify, jumping back to major medicane status, with winds of 85 mph. At the 00:00 UTC advisory by the Mediterranean Cyclone Center, Xylona had even further strengthened into a 90 mph storm. It was also determined at this time that Xylona had transitioned from a subtropical cyclone, into a tropical cyclone. This transition in the basin has only been recorded a handful of times, and Xylona had performed it just about 150 miles east of Sardinia, as the system was making a turn to the east-northeast. Soon, it tied Medicane Euxeinos as the most intense medicane since Medicane Treboniano, with an intensity of 90 mph and 977 millibars. At 12:00 UTC on September 13, Xylona had become the first Catastrophic Medicane since Treboniano of the 1998-99 season. Xylona also had began a curve to the northeast, and then to the north. The MCC had forecasted a direct hit on the extreme southern tip of Italy as a Catastrophic Medicane. Suddenly, another pressure drop allowed Xylona to become the most intense medicane on record. At this time, Xylona hit its peak intensity of 105 mph and 968 millibars.

Around 00:00 UTC on September 14, Xylona slightly weakened due to a bit of dry air intrusion. Almost simultaneously, a high pressure system to its south had steered the system away from Sicily, after almost making landfall on its northern tip. Xylona had then turned almost directly north at 06:00 UTC the same morning, weakening back into a major medicane with 90 mph winds. A pressure of 974 millibars was also recorded at this time, which was still considered extremely intense for the basin. Just a couple hours later, around 07:55 UTC on September 14, Xylona made landfall in Sapri, Italy. Due to the terrain of the region, Xylona quickly weakened. As Xylona re-emerged over the Adriatic Sea, Xylona weakened straight to a severe medistorm, due to the colder waters and higher shear in the region. At 12:00 UTC, Xylona had an intensity of only 50 mph and 988 millibars.

After Xylona had rapidly weakened, it began to approach Croatia, where the MCC began to forecast a hit somewhere near Split in Croatia. At 16:00 UTC, Xylona made landfall in Smokvica Island with 45 mph winds. Shortly after, Xylona made another landfall in Hvar Island, followed by a third in Brac Island. The most notable of these landfalls was the final landfall in Omiš, Croatia, where Xylona eventually moved over and dissipated at 00:00 UTC on September 15. As a remnant low, Xylona ended up bringing a mix of snow, ice, and rain to much of Central and Eastern Europe.

Sardinia
On September 11, after Medistorm Xylona formed, the Mediterranean Cyclone Center (MCC) had issued medistorm warnings for coastal communities and cities, especially in areas that were heavily impacted by Medicane Cleopatra just 6 years earlier, due to the flood-prone nature of the region. The MCC had also issued flash flood warnings and high wind warnings for most of the western face of the island. However, with the unprecedented rapid intensification of Xylona, all of the medistorm warnings were upgraded to medicane warnings, as it was highly expected that winds >58 mph would affect Sardinia. Almost an hour or two after the statement by the MCC, the President of Sardinia, Francesco Pigliaru, had declared a state of emergency for the island, warning that Xylona could potentially bring "life-altering" affects to the island of Sardinia. Within hours of the landfall, Pigliaru ordered mandatory evacuations for the area of Oristano, where the storm was expected to make landfall with winds of at least 75 mph. Although almost all of the island was under a medicane warning, there was a small portion of northern Sardinia that was under a flood warning, but only a medicane watch, due to mostly heavy rain that would come from the system. Unfortunately, due to the short notice of the warnings, Xylona was particularly devastating for most of Sardinia.

Corsica
On September 12, flood watches and medistorm watches went into effect for southern Corsica, warning that there may be the occasional high wind gust. The MCC also stated that a flood could occur, but it would not be very major. Not much action was taken in Corsica due to the fact that the system was moving to the south of the island.

Sicily
On September 12, shortly after Xylona exited Sardinia, the MCC issued medicane warnings for Sicily, stating that there was a pretty high chance of medicane conditions in northern Sicily. This warning included several major coastal communities in Sicily, including Palermo, Bagheria, and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. The MCC encouraged residents to stay inside until further notice, due to the fierce nature of the system. By September 13, Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto was put under a mandatory evacuation, due to the warning of heavy rains and high winds. Media outlets advised everyone in the region to evacuate, because the storm was going to be potentially catastrophic and a danger to life. On September 14, the system veered away from Sicily, and warnings were cancelled for the island.

Italy
On September 13, the Mediterranean Cyclone Center issued medicane warnings for the areas between Naples and Paola, claiming that a significant landfall could occur at a coastal community between these locations. Compared to what actions occurred in Sicily, most of Italy took the same exact actions. Almost immediately after the MCC's warning of a significant landfall, media outlets strongly advised residents who lived along the coast to move further inland temporarily due to the possible high storm surge that would be associated with the system. On September 14, the government issued mandatory evacuations from Salerno to Cirella. In this area of evacuations, it was documented that about 65% of the people in the mandatory evacuation took it seriously, although some doubted that a hurricane would actually affect Italy, due to the rarity of intense medicanes striking land. By the time that the system had struck, a variety of warnings ranging from flood, high wind, medicane, medistorm, etc. were all in effect for different parts of Italy.

Croatia
Little to no preparations were taken in Croatia, due to the system not being expected to be terrible. Some coastal communities did put up sandbags, however.

Sardinia
As a major medicane, Xylona made a very intense landfall in Oristano, one of the largest cities in the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, where very catastrophic damage occurred. In Oristano, a total of 368 buildings were destroyed, 615 were damaged, but most were able to be lived in. In Arborea, the highest wind gusts were recorded, causing extreme damage. Heavy rains also contributed to major flooding in Arborea, where almost every building in the town was damaged/destroyed. A storm surge of 9 feet was recorded in Porto Industriale, which caused many buildings in the area to be destroyed. Santa Giusta also recorded a storm surge of 9 feet, which also destroyed many buildings in Santa Giusta. Damages in Oristano Province alone tallied up to $2.5 billion (2019 USD) and a fatality toll of 26. As Xylona moved further inland, mudslides occurred, specifically one that happened in Desulo, which killed a total of 54 people after heavy rains triggered a massive mudslide down a large mountain.

In some areas of Sardinia, flooding was described to be almost worse than what happened in Medicane Cleopatra, just 6 years prior. The flooding from the storm caused an additional 17 fatalities around the country, along with $1 billion (2019 USD). Xylona was deemed as one of the worst natural disasters in Sardinian history, along with Cleopatra. In Cagliari, schools were shut down due to the storm's approach.

In Sardinia alone, damages reached $3.5 billion. The amount of deaths in Sardinia was rather high, with a total of 97 fatalities. Overall, the storm was one of the deadliest storms on record.

Sicily
In Sicily, heavy rains and high winds impacted the extreme northern portion of the region. Not much else occurred on the island of Sicily.

Italy
As a catastrophic medicane, Xylona caused swells of up to 40 feet in some areas of Southeast Italy. As Xylona weakened however, some of these swells decreased to heights of 30-35 feet, along with some minor coastal flooding. However, as Xylona struck, storm surge in excess of 10 feet were recorded across some of the Southeast Italian Peninsula, but the highest recorded storm surge was 13.5 feet in the village of Acquafredda, where every building in the town was destroyed. Media outlets took to the term "wiped off the map" when describing the damage that was done in Acquafredda. Nearby in Sapri, Xylona's landfalling location, extremely heavy rain and high winds occurred. Rain totals of at least 12-15 inches were recorded across a widespread area in Italy. Unlike Sardinia, however, not very many mudslides occurred, but one took the life of a man in Vallo della Lucania. Further down the coast, in the town of Cittadella del Capo, a storm surge of 5 feet caused the destruction of many coastal homes and businesses. Similarly, Scalea saw 60% of its coastal buildings destroyed by storm surge. At least 250 businesses suffered damage along the Tyrrhenian Coast. As the storm moved further inland, damage was relatively minor and did not cause many disruptions. In Foggia, a rainfall total of 7" caused some minor road flooding, which led to a fatal car accident, which caused 1 indirect fatality.

In summary, Xylona caused $1 billion (2019 USD) in damages in Italy, paired with 7 fatalities. Many along the coast took evacuation prompts seriously, which led to a relatively low casualty toll.

Records
In Sardinia, damages from the storm reached $3.5 billion, which was the second-costliest storm on record in Sardinia, following Cleopatra. The death toll made it the deadliest storm on record in Sardinia however, with a total of 97 fatalities. As the storm was passing north of Sicily, it surpassed Medicane Cornelia as the most intense medicane ever recorded, but not the strongest by wind speed, which goes to Celeno of 1995. Xylona was also only the 4th catastrophic medicane ever recorded in the basin.

Most Intense Medicanes on Record (1947-2019)

Retirement
After the season, the Mediterranean Cyclone Center retired the name Xylona due to the catastrophic effects that occurred in Sardinia and Italy. It was replaced by Xaviera for future use.