A high-impact meso-beta vortex in the Adriatic Sea

The factors responsible for the cyclone development and its characteristics are also investigated. The pre-existence of positive low-level cyclonic vorticity, associated with the convergence of the Sirocco and Bora winds in the central Adriatic, made the environment favorable for cyclone development. Also, the interaction between the upper-level PV anomaly and the low-level baroclinicity, created by the advection of warm, humid air associated with the Sirocco, was responsible for the cyclone's intensification, in a manner similar to a transitory (stable) baroclinic interaction at small horizontal scales.

Sensitivity experiments reveal that convection, latent heat release and sea-surface fluxes did not play a significant role, indicating that this cyclone did not show tropical-like characteristics, notwithstanding its low-level warm core. Thus, the warm-core feature appears mainly as a characteristic of the environment in which the cyclone developed rather than a consequence of diabatic processes. Lastly, the cyclone does not fall into any of the existing categories for Adriatic cyclones.