This session is dedicated to the community of scientific experts involved in the study of Mediterranean storms, their geophysical nature and their socioeconomic impacts.

Every two years the EGU dedicates to this topic a specialty conference entitled the Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Storms. This EGU General Assembly session aims to raise in the European geophysical community and beyond, an awareness of Plinius community activities and to report on new and/or significant scientific results that have gone unreported at previous Plinius conferences, representing findings that may be preliminary in nature or timely in conveyance.

The Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Storms began in 999. These conferences are interdisciplinary in nature and designed to exchange scientific ideas and results oncerning the meteorology, oceanography, hydrology, geology and socioeconomic impacts of Mediterranean storms. Therefore, the contributions to this EGU session should focus on the following topics in relationship to the environment of the Mediterranean basin.

· Meteorological observations of Mediterranean storms: use of measurements from satellite, aircraft, balloon, ground and under water platforms for improved understanding of the physical, dynamical, structural and climatological nature of Mediterranean storms; improved understanding of storm life cycles and life cycle monitoring requirements; improved measuring methodologies; improved observation systems.

· Meteorological and oceanographic diagnosis and prediction of Mediterranean storms: theoretical and modeling studies of severe weather phenomena and related oceanographic processes; sensitivity experiments; operational forecasting issues including deterministic / ensemble / coupled model forecasting, data assimilation, data targeting and redictability limits; forecast verification and improved validation methodologies.

· Hydrology, hydrometeorology and geology of Mediterranean storm environment: measuring, modeling and understanding of extreme hydrological and hydrometeorological processes in Mediterranean basin; operational flood forecasting chains; description and conceptualization of hydrological processes at different spatial and temporal scales; uncertainty assessments of flood forecasts; geological upheavals induced
by extreme rainfall including altered river geometries, andslides and triggering of earthquakes; influences and eedbacks involving urban structures and geological damage.

· Social and economic impacts of Mediterranean storms: vulnerability and mitigation; risk perception, assessment and communication; societal response to disasters; methodological approaches used in different countries including implications of using different approaches.

We welcome contributions that address these topics, as well as those that address climate change impacts on present or future behaviors of Mediterranean storms.