Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones (Medicanes)

Due to its peculiar morphology, the Mediterranean Basin is one of the main cyclogenetic areas in the world. Most of these cyclones are synoptic-scale events and baroclinic in origin. However, intense mesoscale vortices have sometimes been observed, showing features and a development mechanism similar to tropical cyclones, although they are weaker and smaller in size. Thus, they are generally called Medicanes, a short name for "Mediterranean hurricanes", or Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones (TLC).In recent years, a renewed interest in this topic has emerged due both to the important social impact of these vortices, which may affect coasts with intense winds and heavy precipitation, and the implications of climate change for their intensity and location. While a number of papers have shed some light on the mechanisms of formation and intensification, several questions are still subject of debate in the scientific community, ranging from the criteria for a reliable definition of Medicanes to their classification, either as a peculiar category or as member of an extensive category that also includes polar lows and subtropical cyclones.