Sea surface temperature anomalies associated with Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones

Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones, known as medicanes, are mesoscale systems that develop over the Mediterranean Sea and exhibit structural similarities to tropical cyclones, despite forming under markedly different environmental conditions. Air–sea interactions play a key role in their development and intensification, yet the behaviour of sea surface temperature (SST) before, during, and after medicane events remains insufficiently quantified. 

In this study, we analyse SST anomalies and daily SST variability associated with medicane events using the Copernicus high-resolution Level-4 reprocessed Sea Surface Temperature dataset. Daily SST fields and their day-to-day variations are examined along medicane tracks and surrounding areas and compared against climatological references to assess the SST response to medicane passage. The analysis accounts for differences related to seasonality, medicane development stage, and formation region within the Mediterranean basin. 

Results reveal marked SST anomalies associated with medicane events, with a consistent reduction in daily SST and a pronounced negative anomaly in daily SST variation along the medicane track. The magnitude and spatial extent of these anomalies vary depending on the season and phase of the medicane life cycle, indicating distinct air–sea interaction regimes across different Mediterranean sub-basins. The observed SST cooling is consistent with enhanced surface fluxes and upper-ocean mixing induced by medicane-related wind forcing. 

These findings highlight the role of SST anomalies and short-term SST variability in the evolution and intensification of medicanes and provide new insights into the coupled ocean–atmosphere processes governing these systems. Improved understanding of SST–medicane interactions is essential for better representation of medicane-related hazards and for assessing their potential impacts in a warming Mediterranean, where socio-economic exposure and vulnerability are increasing.