Mediterranean cyclones: current knowledge and open questions on dynamics, prediction, climatology and impacts

A large number of intense cyclones occur every year in the Mediterranean basin, one of the climate change hotspots. Producing a broad range of severe socio-economic and environmental impacts in such a densely populated re- gion, Mediterranean cyclones call for coordinated and in- terdisciplinary research efforts. This article aims at support- ing these efforts by reviewing the status of knowledge in the broad field of Mediterranean cyclones. First, we focus on the climatology of Mediterranean cy- clone tracks, their relationship to large-scale atmospheric circulation and their future trends. Second, we discuss the dynamics and atmospheric processes that govern the gene- sis and development of Mediterranean cyclones. Then, we present the different subtypes of Mediterranean cyclones, de- voting special attention to medicanes, i.e. cyclones with trop- ical characteristics and subjects of numerous recent studies. In a subsequent section, we review the state of the art in fore- casting cyclones and relevant high-impact weather, and we discuss in detail the challenges and recent efforts to increase their forecast skill. Finally, we discuss the main impacts pro- duced by cyclones, namely heavy precipitation, windstorms, dust transport, storm surges and sea wave extremes. In the last section of this review article, we thoroughly out- line the future directions of research that would advance the broader field of Mediterranean cyclones.