| Category 3 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
 Linardos at its record breaking peak intensity prior to landfall over Crete | |
| Formed | October 27, 2032 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | November 1, 2032 |
| (Extratropical after October 30) | |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 120 mph (195 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 958 mbar (hPa); 28.29 inHg (Record low in the Mediterranean) |
| Fatalities | 252 total |
| Damage | $41.1 billion (2032 USD) (Costliest cyclone in the Mediterranean) |
| Areas affected | Southern Italy (especially Sicily) , Southern Greece (Peloponnese, Aegean Islands, and Crete) , North Africa, Southern and Eastern Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria |
Cyclone Linardos (also known as Medicane Linardos or Storm Calix) was an extremely rare Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone which surpassed Cyclone Ianos as the strongest cyclone ever recorded in the Mediterranean sea, in terms of both barometric pressure and maximum sustained winds. In addition, It was the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded outside Earth’s seven major hurricane basins. It was also the costliest and one of the deadliest Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone on record, causing at least 41.1 billion (2032 USD) in damages and 252 deaths. The precursor of Linardos was a cluster of thunderstorms over the Tyrrhenian Sea, which quickly consolidated into an area of low pressure. After crossing Sicily, unusually warm sea surface temperatures caused it to intensify into a tropical cyclone, receiving the name “Linardos” from the National Observatory of Athens. Linardos quickly proceeded to strike the Peloponnese as a weak tropical cyclone. Linardos then moved into the Myrtoan Sea. Turning southeast, record warm sea surface temperatures and a lack of wind shear caused Linardos to undergo rapid intensification, strengthening into a category 3-force cyclone from tropical storm intensity in under 24 hours. After stalling over Crete, Linardos transitioned into a powerful hurricane-force extratropical cyclone, and passed over Cyprus at that intensity. It then moved inland over Syria and rapidly deteriorated.
Damage was light on the Peloponnese, with light winds damaging trees and only minor flooding occurring. However, Linardos had unprecedented effects on the Island of Crete. Linardos stalled over the island for a prolonged period of time, packing wind speeds of around 100 mph and extremely heavy rainfall, resulting in the vast majority of the island's structures obtaining some form of damage. After becoming extratropical, Linardos caused significant wind damage in Cyprus and minor flooding in Western Asia.
Meteorological history[]
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Map plotting the track and intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Late on October 25, 2032, a flare-up of convection began over the Tyrrhenian Sea. Over the course of the following day, the disturbance moved east-southeast and then south-southeast, organizing extremely rapidly into a complex low pressure area. On October 27, after crossing Sicily, the disturbance had entered exceptionally warm waters for the time of year and began to develop strong outflow channels and conspicuous convective bursts over its center, resulting in the disturbance being deemed a tropical storm at 00:00 UTC that day, receiving the name “Linardos” from the National Observatory of Athens. Later analysis, however, showed that Linardos didn’t reach tropical storm-force winds until later on, and the storm was a depression at the time of naming. Afterwards, Linardos continued eastwards through the Ionian Sea, where favorable conditions allowed it to strengthen further, becoming a true tropical storm by 6:00 UTC on October 27.
Linardos as it made landfall on the Peloponnese.
Around 18:00 UTC on October 27, Linardos made its first landfall as a tropical cyclone near Pyrgos, Elis, in the former municipality of Volakas as a tropical storm, with winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). Despite interactions with the mountainous terrain of the Peloponnese, saturated soil caused by recent rainfall allowed Linardos to weaken remarkably slowly, weakening by only 5 mph (8 km/h) over the three quarters of a day it spent over the Peloponnese.
Afterwards, Linardos entered the Myrtoan Sea and began to rapidly intensify despite waters of only 26-27°C (79-81°F), generally considered far too cold for this phenomenon to take place. Linardos became a tropical storm early on October 29, and began turning southeastwards under the influence of a ridge. By the end of the day, the storm had already intensified into a Category 2-force storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, and had a vivid eye, tight rainbands, and strong outflow, deeply resembling a hurricane in the Atlantic or Pacific basins, rather than in the Mediterranean. Early the next day, on October 30, the storm had reached its historic peak intensity as a Category 3-force cyclone, with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h), and a pressure of 958 mbar (28.29 inHg). A few hours later, Linardos made a Category 2 landfall on the island of Crete, over the small village of Panormos. As Linardos was passing over Crete, the storm abruptly began showing signs of an extratropical transition. This transition was completed by the end of the day on October 30. However, the storm still maintained hurricane-force winds. Extratropical Linardos began moving east, and passed over Cyprus on the 31st of October, still possessing windspeeds of around 80 mph (130 km/h). After traversing the island, the storm began to weaken more quickly and soon moved inland over Syria. The remnants of Linardos curved north before dissipating over eastern Turkey on November 1, when it was absorbed into a frontal system.
Impact[]
Sicily[]
As a precursor low, the storm had only minor effects on Sicily. Thunderstorms associated with the weak low pressure area dropped heavy rain which led to minor flash flooding in some areas. Gusty winds embedded in some of the storms downed some trees and branches. No injuries or deaths were reported.
Mainland Greece[]
Peloponnesia was the first area to be struck by Linardos as a tropical cyclone. On the Peloponnese peninsula, damage was mostly light, but the effects of Linardos were much more widespread and severe than in Sicily and the rest of Mainland Greece. Damage on the peninsula was limited mostly to minor flooding and tree damage. However, a very intense mudflow near the town of Mystras claimed the lives of 81 people, accounting for most of the fatalities on the peninsula, and a large chunk of the storm's overall death count. A total of 91 fatalities were reported in Mainland Greece, with all but two occurring in Peloponnesia. A total of 35 million (2032 USD) in damages was done.
Aegean Islands and Crete[]
As Linardos crossed into the Aegean Sea, heavy rainfall from Linardos’ rainbands spread across much of the Aegean Islands. Although damage was light across much of the northern Aegean Islands, the damage was much more severe closer to where the center of Linardos passed. Some of the most severe damage occurred in the Saronic Islands, particularly on the island of Hydra, where Linardos made its first landfall in the Agean Sea as a tropical depression. In the town of Hydra Port, a 79-year-old man died after being struck by lightning during the storm's passage. As Linardos continued south, an additional 2 deaths occured in the Cyclades, both flood-related.
Flooding caused by Linardos in Crete
The island of Crete was by far the most heavily impacted location. Heavy rainfall was occurring on the island long before the storm’s arrival, due to the storms outflow channels. Before the storm made landfall, much of the island had already seen 8-12 inches of rain, and damages to structures and crops were significant. As the storm continued to edge closer, hurricane-force winds overspread the island, furthering the damage already caused by flooding. In total, around 95% of structures on the island were damaged to some extent. Structural damage resembling that caused by an EF1 - EF2 tornado was extremely widespread, with some areas seeing complete structural failure. Crop damage on the island was also significant. Linardos was estimated to have destroyed at least half of the islands grape crop, and more than 80% of it’s olive crop. A total of 156 people were killed on the island as the result of landslides, flooding, and high winds, making it among the deadliest natural disasters in the island’s history. Damages on the island totaled US$41 billion.
Cyprus and Western Asia[]
Aerial view showing structural damage caused by the extratropical Linardos. This type of damage was widespread near where the storm made landfall in Cyprus.
The island of Cyprus was the first area to be affected by Linardos as an extratropical cyclone. Most of the damage on the island was the result of strong winds, rather than rainfall-induced flooding, as a result of the storm's rapid motion. Roof, window, and other forms of structural damage were common across the island. Trees were uprooted and snapped in many areas as well. In the Peiya area, a woman was killed at her home when an awning fell on her. Another death occurred in the Oroklini area due to a fallen tree. Linardos left behind approximately US$47 million in damages on the island.
In Syria and Turkey, rapidly moving showers and thunderstorms resulted in some minor flooding. Some of the most intense flooding occurred in Syria, where some training thunderstorm clusters lingered for prolonged periods. The storm caused approximately US$4 million in damages in Syria, with minimal damages in Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey.
See Also[]
- Cyclone Ianos
- Storm Daniel
- Hurricane Catarina
- Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone
- Areas of unusual tropical cyclone formation
Created by Foxthehurricane65