An extreme storm in the Mediterranean
On the morning of August 18, 2022, gusts of more than 200 km/h swept across northern Corsica, combined with torrential rains. 5 deaths were reported during this storm. The Cross Med coordinated 125 rescue operations for boats and people in distress. Among the victims, 2 were at sea when the elements were unleashed: a kayaker, and a recreational fisherman on board his boat. There were also injuries on board boats at sea.
Storms to be feared in the fall
The violence of the weather phenomenon was unprecedented. However, for several weeks already, climatologists have been warning about the situation in the Mediterranean. A marine heat wave is raging this summer with an unprecedented magnitude. The water temperature, several degrees higher than average, can create, when combined with cold air masses, extreme winds and precipitation. If specialists were calling for vigilance for the fall, the episode of August 18 was ahead of them. Nevertheless, the fall of 2022 is particularly at risk.
How to navigate safely?
The Mediterranean was already known for its brutal and changeable weather. Climate change amplifies this characteristic. The sailor likes to anticipate and watch the clouds to adapt his navigation. But where the Atlantic depression and its front are announced in advance, the Medicane, contraction of Mediterranean and Hurricane, are hard to predict. Beyond vigilance, we will have to adapt our warning methods and our way of planning our sea trips, to avoid the dramas of yachting in the Mediterranean. In the meantime, we can never remind you enough: watching the weather forecast and the warnings before going to sea is essential!
