Articles | Volume 7, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-7-1899-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-7-1899-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Mediterranean cyclones from pre-industrial to future climate: changes in extreme wind, precipitation and compound precipitation–wind events
Climate and Environmental Physics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Martina Messmer
Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
Edgar Dolores-Tesillos
Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Christoph C. Raible
Climate and Environmental Physics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Extratropical cyclones are crucial systems in the Mediterranean. While extensively studied, their late Holocene variability is poorly understood. Using a climate model spanning 3350-years, we find Mediterranean cyclones show significant multi-decadal variability. Extreme cyclones tend to be more extreme in the central Mediterranean in terms of wind speed. Our work creates a reference baseline to better understand the impact of climate change on Mediterranean cyclones.
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Emmanuele Russo, Jonathan Buzan, Sebastian Lienert, Guillaume Jouvet, Patricio Velasquez Alvarez, Basil Davis, Patrick Ludwig, Fortunat Joos, and Christoph C. Raible
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Jonathan Robert Buzan, Emmanuele Russo, Woon Mi Kim, and Christoph C. Raible
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Short summary
This study finds that while the total number of Mediterranean cyclones is set to decrease by the end of the century, the most extreme cyclones become more intense. Heavy precipitation cyclones intensify mainly in the western Mediterranean, while strong wind cyclones increase across the whole Mediterranean. These changes are partially driven by an increased moisture availability and more favourable dynamics.
This study finds that while the total number of Mediterranean cyclones is set to decrease by the...