Cyclone Qendresa

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

Map key

Saffir–Simpson scale

  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown

Storm type

Tropical cyclone

Subtropical cyclone

Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

A shortwave trough near the British Isles started to expand southwards to North Africa on 3 November, which caused Lake Maggiore in Italy to overflow.[4][5] Although the Institute of Meteorology of the Free University of Berlin had assigned the name Qendresa to an expected low-pressure area developed within the trough on 4 November, it actually gave the name to two different systems on 5 November, resulting in Qendresa I to the south and Qendresa II to the north.[6] On 6 November, the southern tip of Qendresa I started to develop a low-level circulation centre (LLCC) near Kerkennah Islands, and it is referred to simply as Qendresa later by most of the documents and reports. The trough also developed two upper-level circulation centres (ULCCs) on the same day— the one near the southeastern coast of France quickly dissipated, yet the one in Algeria moved to Tunisia and then entered the Strait of Sicily the next day, becoming a cut-off low from the trough.[7]

When Qendresa's LLCC was moving north-northeastwards and combining with the ULCC early on 7 November, the system occluded quickly and intensified dramatically.[7][8] Thanks to sea surface temperature over 23 °C (73 °F) and the strong cold air at middle and upper levels, Qendresa formed an eye-like feature surrounded by deep convection near Linosa around noon.[9][5] Shortly before 17:00 CET (16:00 UTC), Qendresa directly hit Malta, around which time Qendresa lost its fronts and acquired a more well-defined eye.[7] MOLOCH, an Italian model, estimated that the low-level temperature of Qendresa's eye was about 6 °C (11 °F) warmer than the surrounding area with the no longer cold middle and upper levels at that time, suggesting a warm-core system.[2] Around this time, Qendresa was believed to have transitioned into a subtropical cyclone.[1] At the peak intensity, Qendresa had a minimum low pressure of 978 hPa (28.88 inHg), maximum sustained winds of at least 110.9 km/h (68.9 mph; 59.9 kn), and maximum gusts of at least 153.7 km/h (95.5 mph; 83.0 kn).[10] Interacting with Sicily, the cyclone turned northeastwards and started to make an anticlockwise loop to the east of the Italian island.[7] On 8 November, Qendresa tracked along the coast of Catania and crossed Syracuse in the morning. It was significantly eroded because of the terrain of Sicily and increasing vertical wind shear, resulting a partially exposed and weakening system later.[7] On 9 November, Qendresa lost its cold front, and weakened into a non-tropical low, near the island of Crete.[11] On 10 November, the system continued to decay, while moving over the island of Crete.[12] On 11 November, Qendresa dissipated over Crete.[13]

Qendresa near Sicily on 8 November, shortly after peak intensity

Malta experienced a direct hit similar to a typical tropical cyclone from Qendresa. In St. Paul's Bay, a coastal town in northern Malta, the weather station of Buġibba recorded ten-minute sustained winds at 110.9 km/h (68.9 mph) and the gust at 153.7 kilometres per hour (95.5 mph; 83.0 kn) at 16:58 CET (15:58 UTC), the strongest recorded overland from a Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone in history; about 15 minutes later, the central pressure at 978.6 hPa (28.90 inHg) was recorded inside the eye with totally calm conditions, the lowest of all Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones since reliable records. Weather stations across other areas also recorded significant gusts from Qendresa. At Malta International Airport, it recorded the gust at 119 km/h (74 mph). Lampedusa, the largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands, recorded the gust at 135 km/h (84 mph).[5] Qendresa drowned 3 people in Italy, and caused at least 250 million GBP (2014 EURO) in damages.[3]

Qendresa caused chaos in Malta. Airport operations were suspended, and harbours were also closed. With many cars stalled in flooded streets throughout low-lying areas, the cyclone caused a traffic nightmare across the island. Power outages happened in several towns as electricity poles were brought down by strong winds; besides, many trees were uprooted.[14] Qendresa brought similar damages to the eastern part of Sicily, including eroded coasts, blown off roofs, and overturned boats.[15]

• Tropical Storm Rolf
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cyclone Qendresa.

• The Birth and Death of Medicane Qendresa
• Medicane Qendresa Hits Malta And Sicily Archived 7 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine
• Ciclone mediterraneo 7–8 novembre 2014 Archived 5 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine from YouReport.it (in Italian)
• Mediterranean Tropical Products Page – Satellite Services Division – Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution
• Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Imagery – NOAA