Meteorologists have issued unprecedented alerts warning that Mediterranean storms in the Balearics are increasingly behaving like true tropical cyclones. | Photo: Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter
Humphrey CarterPalma26/10/2026 11:19
Tropical cyclones—and tropical-like systems known as "medicanes" could become more common in the Balearics. In October 2026, meteorologists issued unprecedented alerts warning that Mediterranean storms in the Balearic region are increasingly behaving like true tropical cyclones, bringing intense winds and torrential rainfall typically unseen in the area. This shift is primarily fueled by record-breaking sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean.
While true tropical cyclones have historically been restricted to warmer oceans like the Atlantic and Pacific, the Mediterranean experiences a hybrid version often referred to as a medicane (Mediterranean hurricane).
Unlike standard winter storms that rely on thermal contrasts (fronts), medicanes and tropical cyclones extract energy directly from the warm ocean surface, developing a symmetric structure and a distinct "eye" at their centre.
In October 2026, researchers noted that storms are transitioning past typical medicane boundaries, moving closer to the behavior of pure tropical systems. According to climatologists tracking global warming trends on Yale Climate Connections, rising water temperatures significantly boost the intensity and wind speeds of these cyclic systems.
The western Mediterranean, particularly around Mallorca, Ibiza, and Menorca, is a primary hot spot for these developments. Scientific models continue to monitor emerging threats in Ibiza and Mallorca due to unprecedented atmospheric changes.
In August 2024, a devastating severe storm packing winds over 100 km/h severely impacted Formentera and Mallorca, damaging maritime infrastructure and disrupting flights. In November 2021, Storm Blas hovered over Mallorca and Menorca for a week, displaying severe tropical characteristics and generating intense coastal upwelling. And, as noted in the comprehensive Wikipedia Overview of Medicanes, a severe medicane in September 1996 formed directly in the Balearics, spawning six destructive tornadoes.