Increasing ‘Mediterranean hurricanes’ threaten up to 180 million people

Increasingly violent hurricanes in the Mediterranean sea could expose up to 180 million people living on its coasts in Southern Europe and North Africa, reports La Presse on 21st May. Known as ‘Medicanes’, these are tropical-like cyclones that bring torrential rain, wind and floods, spreading across the Mediterranean coast.

While they are considered rare events, these types of environmental disasters are increasingly common and intense in the area, due to rising sea temperatures: average temperatures in the Mediterranean sea have risen by 0.4ºC per decade since 1990. This rise causes changes in evaporation rates and heat fluxes, creating an environment in which extreme weather events are increasingly likely. There is currently an average of 3 Medicanes per year, but their impact is wide, impacting large areas of land across national borders.

The most recent example of these type of hurricanes is Jolina/ Samuel in March 2026, which caused significant damage in the Central Mediterranean area, particularly in Libya and southern Italy with flooding around Tripoli.

In September 2023, Storm Daniel hit Libya, causing the death of over 6,000 people and wiping out a large part of the city of Derna, in the eastern part of the country. The area was flooded by two dams that had burst upstream, tearing through the city and leaving its population defenseless.

North African states are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events because of their aging infrastructure and lack of investment in protective measures. In Tunisia, 4 were killed in floods in January 2026, as the country saw its worst torrential rain in 70 years. Similarly, in Morocco, heavy rain triggered mass evacuations in the north of the country, once again highlighting the local authorities’ lack of preparedness to such events. Collaboration between climate researchers and civil protection groups is essential to develop early warning systems and timely response, to prevent loss of life and significant economic impact.

La Presse, The Conversation, Maghrebi.org