A rise in the temperature of the waters of the Mediterranean Sea caused the “intensification of strength” of the powerful storm “Daniel” that hit eastern Libya, while experts revealed the reasons for this to the Al-Hurrah website and raised the alarm. A “Mediterranean Cyclone” is likely to erupt in the region in the near future.
Daniel “The Tempest”
Storm Daniel swept through the Libyan coastal city of Derna overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, causing flooding from heavy rains to wash away large dams and entire neighborhoods.
Floods and floods destroyed large parts of the city of Derna in eastern Libya, as two dams collapsed and entire buildings collapsed as families slept as they made their way through a river that normally lacks water.
Officials from the government of eastern Libya reported varying numbers of victims, with one stating that at least 3,840 had been killed.
Meanwhile, the eastern Libyan government’s health minister, Othman Abdel Jalil, announced that 3,166 deaths had been reported between Friday night and Saturday, with 101 bodies found on Friday and buried in one day.
But the number of victims could be much higher as the United Nations estimates that the number of missing has reached at least 10,000.
The International Organization for Migration reported more than 38,000 people displaced in eastern Libya, including 30,000 from Terna.
The temperature of the Mediterranean Sea is rising
The flash floods that killed thousands in Libya were caused by a Mediterranean cyclone, a rare but devastating climate phenomenon that scientists believe will “increase in a warming world”.
In the Mediterranean, the highest temperatures were recorded in July, as Europe faced a series of exceptional heat waves.
Surface waters in the eastern Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean became two to three degrees Celsius warmer than usual in early September.
Speaking to the Al-Hurrah website, climatologist Dumit Kamel explains that the Mediterranean region has entered a phase of “broad climate change”.
Doumit points out that “climate changes” have caused “climate extremes” and an increase in the temperature of Mediterranean waters, which can lead to floods, storms and hurricanes, threatening all the countries of the region.
In a related context, Jamal Musa, a consultant at the Arab Meteorological Center, affirms that climate change, global warming and extreme weather patterns are the factors responsible for “rising the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea”.
From now on, weather depressions forming in the eastern Mediterranean will be deep and severe, and as temperatures rise, “heavy rains” will occur, causing flooding and flooding, he told the “Al-Hurrah” website. .
According to an adviser at the Arab Meteorological Center, as air temperature rises, its ability to absorb large amounts of water vapor will increase, causing more rain and “catastrophic” flooding.
Is the region seeing a new “Daniel”?
Climate change expert, Mr. Sabri warns of the possibility of a “repeat of Daniel’s scene” in the near future.
He explains to the Al-Hurrah website that cyclones appear in large bodies of water such as oceans due to an increase in surface water temperature, but their appearance in small seas such as the Mediterranean is a “new change”.
If temperatures in the Mediterranean continue to rise, severe storms like “Daniel” may erupt again in the future, a climate change expert says.
In a related context, Jamal Moussa anticipates the possibility of new severe storms and “Mediterranean” hurricanes as a result of rising water temperatures, along with the presence of “cold air masses”.
For his part, Doumit says the current situation is “not good”, indicating the possibility of a repeat of the “Daniel scenario” and the outbreak of a “Mediterranean hurricane” in many parts of the Mediterranean.
Climatologists warn that the countries of the southern, eastern and northern Mediterranean are at risk of seeing the same scenario as in Libya.
What is a Mediterranean Hurricane?
Mediterranean hurricanes are similar to other hurricanes and storms, but they can form in less warm water.
In satellite images, it appears as a swirling mass of storm clouds around a focal point, the eye of the hurricane.
But these Mediterranean storms are generally smaller and weaker than their tropical counterparts and have a narrower space to grow and develop.
A cyclone is formed when a layer of cold air from higher altitudes meets warm air rising from the ocean and convection or upwelling develops, and this meeting occurs around a low pressure center.
Its maximum strength is typically equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, meaning its speed is between 119 and 153 kilometers per hour, according to Agence France-Presse.
In addition to their strong winds, Mediterranean cyclones are accompanied by heavy rainfall.
Jamal Moussa explains that Mediterranean cyclones always form in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, so Tunisia and Libya can be affected, as a consultant at the Arab Meteorological Center explains.
The Levant and Egypt could also be affected, but with “depressed or unstable weather,” according to an adviser at the Arabia Meteorological Center.
Mr. Sabri, for his part, said that all countries in the Mediterranean basin are threatened by “climate changes and rising water temperatures”, which could lead to the outbreak of “Mediterranean cyclones”.
Dumit agrees with him, pointing out that Daniel took an “unusual path” that increases the risk of these extreme weather events in the Mediterranean.
Rising sea surface temperatures “caused by human-induced climate change” could make extreme events like hurricanes or Mediterranean cyclones “more severe,” Doumit warns.
Active arrangements
Daniel’s authority in Libya is not strong, but Jamal Musa explains that the “deteriorating” infrastructure, dams that have not been maintained for 15 years and buildings located along the course of the valley are factors that have caused the “catastrophe”.
In the absence of emergency plans, a lack of “crisis management”, lax infrastructure and uneven buildings, heavy storms combined with “heavy rain” could “signal the risk of disaster”, warns Arabia Weather’s adviser. Center.
In light of “unprecedented” climate changes in the Mediterranean, countries that don’t care about maintaining “infrastructure” and don’t address haphazard construction could face a new catastrophe like what happened in Libya.
For his part, Doumit calls for a scientific study of the Mediterranean region to “prepare” to face what comes next.
The climatologist says that if there had been “emergency and preparedness plans”, there would not have been this number of victims in Libya.
“Countries without early warning or disaster response strategies” could soon face a new disaster like the one in Libya, he asserts.
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