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Rare for the Greek data is the meteorological phenomenon that will hit the country in the next few hours.
The Mediterranean cyclone has alerted the authorities, Vice Minister Nikos Hardalias has alerted Civil Protection to the expectation of floods.
After all, the recent floods in Evia caused casualties that were washed away by the overflowing torrents.
Something that Civil Protection wants to avoid, hence the warnings and recommendations for those who have houses near torrents.
According to meteo.gr, the main characteristics of IANOS will be heavy rains, especially in the Ionian and the south of the country, storms in some places and very stormy winds, especially in parts of the sea, where they can reach storm levels.
It is not yet clear if IANOS will acquire tropical characteristics and meet the conditions to be classified as a Mediterranean Cyclone (barometric minimums known internationally as medicanes from the union of the words Mediterranean and hurricanes), something that cannot be ruled out.
The video provided by the National Observatory’s meteo.gr shows the Janus vortex in the Central Mediterranean until the afternoon of Wednesday 09/16, as recorded by the European meteorological satellite Meteosat-11. The processing and visualization of the satellite data was carried out by the National Observatory of Athens / meteo.gr. The same video with yellow x also shows the rays recorded by the ZEUS system of the National Observatory of Athens.
What is it
According to Wikipedia, Mediterranean cyclones, also known as Mediterranean hurricanes (international name: Medicane, from the words Mediterranean and hurricane), are rare meteorological phenomena observed in the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the arid nature of the Mediterranean region, the formation of tropical and subtropical cyclones is rare, with only 100 tropical storms recorded between 1947 and 2011. Most systems remain at or below tropical storm intensity, but in some rare cases some storms have reached the category hurricane level
There is no official body that controls their training and course. Tropical cyclones usually occur in two separate seas. The first region comprises the western Mediterranean areas that most favor its development, while in the east the area that favors its development is the Ionian Sea. However, in very rare cases, similar tropical storms can also develop in the Black Sea.
The rugged mountainous geography of the area creates additional difficulties that are more than favorable for the development of extreme weather events and vertical activity in general. These cyclones can only form under abnormal weather conditions. There have been numerous studies on the effects of global warming on the formation of Mediterranean cyclones, which in general agree that fewer but more intense storms will form.
The development of tropical or subtropical cyclones in the Mediterranean can generally only occur in somewhat unusual circumstances. Low wind shear and atmospheric instability caused by cold air attacks are often necessary. Most of them are accompanied by high-level troughs, which provide them with the necessary energy to intensify air transport: storms and torrential rains. The baroclinic properties of the Mediterranean region, with high temperature slopes, also provide the necessary instability for the formation of tropical cyclones. Another factor, the increase in fresh air, provides the necessary humidity. High sea surface temperatures are mostly an unnecessary factor, as most Mediterranean cyclones run on energy from higher air temperatures. The development of cyclones in the Mediterranean can occur throughout the year, but is mainly observed between September and January.
There have been several notable Mediterranean cyclones in the last 50 years. In September 1969, a tropical Mediterranean cyclone in North Africa caused flooding, killing nearly 600 people, leaving 250,000 homeless and destroying local economies. A Mediterranean cyclone in September 1996 that developed in the Balearic Islands gave birth to six siphons and flooded parts of the islands. Several Mediterranean cyclones have also been studied in depth, such as those of January 1982, January 1995, September 2006, November 2011 and November 2014. The January 1995 storm is one of the best-studied Mediterranean systems. cyclones, which look a lot like tropical cyclones in other areas. Comments were also available. The Mediterranean cyclone of September 2006 is well studied due to the availability of existing observations and data. In November 2011, NOAA’s Department of Satellite Analysis tracked a Mediterranean cyclone named Rolf from the Free University of Berlin, although it stopped observing the following month. In 2015, NOAA continued to issue advisories for tropical systems in the Mediterranean region. 
On September 27, 2018, an exotropic storm developed in the eastern Mediterranean. Water temperatures around 27 ° C favored the transition of the storm to a hybrid cyclone, with a warm thermal core in the center (commonly the eye of the cyclone). The storm moved to northeast Greece, while it gradually became more intense and developed the characteristics of a tropical cyclone. On September 29, the storm touched down in the Peloponnese west of Kalamata, where a minimum central pressure of 989.3 mbar was reported.
Unofficial names include Xenophon and Zorbas.
During the formation phase, the storm caused flooding in Tunisia and Libya, as it caused extreme rainfall of 200 millimeters per hour. The floods have killed four people in Tunisia and severely damaged homes, roads and fields. The Tunisian government has pledged to provide financial assistance to residents whose houses have been damaged.
Before the arrival of the storm in Greece, the National Meteorological Service issued an emergency meteorological report. Many flights were canceled and schools were closed.
The coastal islands of Strofades and Rhodes reported strong winds during the storm. A private weather station in Voutsaras measured gusts of 105 kilometers per hour, or 11 Beaufort. The storm caused a flood of water to enter the land.
Winds in Athens whip trees and power lines. A fallen tree destroyed the roof of a school in western Athens. Several roads were closed due to flooding.
In Ioannina, the storm damaged the minaret on top of the Aslan Pasha Mosque, which dates back to 1614.
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