<p>Mediterranean tropical cyclones are extremely rare but do occur.
These are not Atlantic type hurricanes, they are typically not the product of a hot African tropical depression.  The most recent event was in November 7, 2014 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_tropical-like_cyclone" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3</a>.</p>

<p>As for Atlantic basic hurricanes, it would seem nearly impossible.  The normal path of the storm leading it eastwards would be affected by the Gulf stream and North Atlantic Drift and would carry the storm north east.<br>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/nQWJp.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nQWJp.gif" alt="Gulf Stream"></a></p>

<p>Typical wind patterns along the subtropics also would carry a storm trending east to the North and East.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ZWyPr.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZWyPr.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>References:</p>

<ol>
<li><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_tropical-like_cyclone" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_tropical-like_cyclone</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/most-bizarre-hurricane-tropical-storm-cyclone-locations-20130829#/8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/most-bizarre-hurricane-tropical-storm-cyclone-locations-20130829#/8</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2854" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2854</a></p></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-26T17:30:52.893Z
Ocean currents are going to have an effect on storm intensity (via SST differences) but they are not involved in the steering of hurricanes.  Atlantic hurricane curvature to the north and then northeast are due to flow around the Bermuda High and the westerly mid-lattiude flow.  Once they get headed back east they also tend to lose tropical characteristics and undergo extratropical transition (and can actually strengthen before hitting Europe as mid-latitude cyclones).
casey
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-26T10:53:23.950Z
2015-08-26T14:27:31.070Z
2015-08-26T14:27:31.070Z
Earth Science Expatriate
<p>Apart from the fact that only a few tropical cyclones follow a more southerly route (a list bellow) after going around the North Atlantic, I think the main problem is that tropical cyclones would weaken significantly after landfall in the Iberian Peninsula. An example of this is <a href="http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/2012/RAFAEL/track.gif" rel="noreferrer">Hurricane Raphael</a> in 2012.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/N5Q1j.gif" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/N5Q1j.gif" alt="Source weather.unisys.com"></a> Source Weather.unisys.com.</p>

<p>There is no "easy" path from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean for a system the size of a tropical cyclone. Other examples that followed a similar path but never made it the Mediterranean: <a href="http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/2006/GORDON/track.gif" rel="noreferrer">Gordon (2006)</a>, <a href="http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1998/JEANNE/track.gif" rel="noreferrer">Jeanne (1998)</a>, <a href="http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1998/IVAN/track.gif" rel="noreferrer">Ivan (1998)</a>, <a href="http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1992/FRANCES/track.gif" rel="noreferrer">Frances (1992)</a>, <a href="http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1991/BOB/track.gif" rel="noreferrer">Bob (1991)</a>, <a href="http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1987/ARLENE/track.gif" rel="noreferrer">Arlene (1987)</a>, <a href="http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1967/CHLOE/track.gif" rel="noreferrer">Chloe (1967)</a>, <a href="http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1965/CAROL/track.gif" rel="noreferrer">Carol (1965)</a>, <a href="http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1953/DOLLY/track.gif" rel="noreferrer">Dolly (1953)</a>.</p>

<p>While the cyclones at the point of approaching the Iberian Peninsula are still tracked as tropical depressions, their characteristics are often similar to other extra-tropical storms.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-15T02:12:06.247Z
@arkaia And now Storm Daniel
gansub
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-26T17:37:29.917Z
Did many of those storms retain tropical characteristics while approaching Europe or are they generally extra-tropical by that point (particularly the ones recurving closer to Europe that don't stray too far north)?
casey
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-26T19:22:25.200Z
I tried to answer this question in the edit, but I feel these storms are probably too infrequent to be able to generalize.
arkaia
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-26T16:46:15.873Z
2015-08-26T19:21:29.460Z
2015-08-26T19:21:29.460Z
arkaia
<p>I can't find any examples, has it just never happened before or is it impossible because of environmental factors?</p>

<meteorology><tropical-cyclone><atlantic><mediterranean>
Can an Atlantic hurricane enter Mediterranean sea?
Gstestso
# Can an Atlantic hurricane enter Mediterranean sea?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-26)

I can't find any examples, has it just never happened before or is it impossible because of environmental factors?

**Tags:** meteorology, tropical-cyclone, atlantic, mediterranean


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-08-26. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Apart from the fact that only a few tropical cyclones follow a more southerly route (a list bellow) after going around the North Atlantic, I think the main problem is that tropical cyclones would weaken significantly after landfall in the Iberian Peninsula. An example of this is [Hurricane Raphael](http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/2012/RAFAEL/track.gif) in 2012.
[![Source weather.unisys.com](https://i.sstatic.net/N5Q1j.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/N5Q1j.gif) Source Weather.unisys.com.

There is no "easy" path from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean for a system the size of a tropical cyclone. Other examples that followed a similar path but never made it the Mediterranean: [Gordon (2006)](http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/2006/GORDON/track.gif), [Jeanne (1998)](http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1998/JEANNE/track.gif), [Ivan (1998)](http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1998/IVAN/track.gif), [Frances (1992)](http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1992/FRANCES/track.gif), [Bob (1991)](http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1991/BOB/track.gif), [Arlene (1987)](http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1987/ARLENE/track.gif), [Chloe (1967)](http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1967/CHLOE/track.gif), [Carol (1965)](http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1965/CAROL/track.gif), [Dolly (1953)](http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1953/DOLLY/track.gif).

While the cyclones at the point of approaching the Iberian Peninsula are still tracked as tropical depressions, their characteristics are often similar to other extra-tropical storms.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Did many of those storms retain tropical characteristics while approaching Europe or are they generally extra-tropical by that point (particularly the ones recurving closer to Europe that don't stray too far north)?  
> **username_3**: I tried to answer this question in the edit, but I feel these storms are probably too infrequent to be able to generalize.  
> **username_4**: @username_3 And now Storm Daniel  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-08-26. Score: 2

Mediterranean tropical cyclones are extremely rare but do occur.
These are not Atlantic type hurricanes, they are typically not the product of a hot African tropical depression. The most recent event was in November 7, 2014 [3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_tropical-like_cyclone).

As for Atlantic basic hurricanes, it would seem nearly impossible. The normal path of the storm leading it eastwards would be affected by the Gulf stream and North Atlantic Drift and would carry the storm north east.  
[![Gulf Stream](https://i.sstatic.net/nQWJp.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/nQWJp.gif)

Typical wind patterns along the subtropics also would carry a storm trending east to the North and East.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ZWyPr.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/ZWyPr.gif)

References:

1. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_tropical-like_cyclone>
2. <http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/most-bizarre-hurricane-tropical-storm-cyclone-locations-20130829#/8>
3. <http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2854>

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Ocean currents are going to have an effect on storm intensity (via SST differences) but they are not involved in the steering of hurricanes.  Atlantic hurricane curvature to the north and then northeast are due to flow around the Bermuda High and the westerly mid-lattiude flow.  Once they get headed back east they also tend to lose tropical characteristics and undergo extratropical transition (and can actually strengthen before hitting Europe as mid-latitude cyclones).  

---

