MED: 03M/ELAINA (ANDIRA) - ex-Tropical Storm

[Vince_and_Grace_fan]

It looks like that a former extratropical cyclone transformed into subtropical over the far eastern Mediterranean Sea, near Cyprus. According to the latest models it likely become tropical by tomorrow before it made landfall in Lebanon or northern Israel. The FU-Berlin gave the name Andira to the cyclone earlier, when it was extratropical.

[InfernoFlameCat]

I had noticed it yesterday as it appeared to be losing some of its frontal characteristics but still maintained a dry slot near the middle.
However I believe it to be unlikely to become fully tropical due to the front to its northeast and its location near land. It appears barely subtropical

[Europa non è lontana]

Radar images from Hatay, Turkey

[Sciencerocks]

Radar images from Hatay, Turkey

https://i.imgur.com/p5Y7uDb.gif

Looks pretty tropical and has some nice banding. Probably fully subtropical based on the radar and lower level structure.

[Vince_and_Grace_fan]

The latest ASCAT passes showed much more organized and tropical-like circulation than in the morning, and also indicated a quite fast strengthening as the first pass at 18:02 UTC showed maximum winds between 30-35 kt but the second pass at 19:17 UTC around 40 kt already. Based on the improvement on the radar and satellite since that, it could be even near 50 kt now.

[Nancy Smar]

TROPICAL STORM 03M ANALYSED POSITION : 33.9N 33.4E

ATCF IDENTIFIER : ME032020

[Nancy Smar]

ME, 03, 2020121512, 03, UKM, 0, 339N, 334E, 33, 1004, TD, 0, , 0, 0, 0, 0, , , 93, , , M, , , , , 03M

[johngaltfla]

Does this mean we have to wait until December 31st for this season to end? If so, I cry UNCLE!

[supercane4867]

NOAA satellites made several good passes today.



It looks more tropical after nightfall albeit lower resolution imagery available.

[doomhaMwx]

Is it just me or there have been more medistorms/canes than usual this year? How many followed after Ianos which hit Greece on September?

[InfernoFlameCat]

Is it just me or there have been more medistorms/canes than usual this year? How many followed after Ianos which hit Greece on September?

Yes I believe this is the third this year.
it is cuz 2020

[AJC3]

At the very latest, this became a Subtropical Depression (if not a STS) when it was southwest of Cyprus, and quickly completed fully transitioning to a TS while passing the island.

[AJC3]

Is it just me or there have been more medistorms/canes than usual this year? How many followed after Ianos which hit Greece on September?

I believe after Ianos there was what appeared to be a brief Subtropical Depression(8-9 NOV) that formed north of Lybia, followed by Masinissa (21-22 NOV), which made landfall in Tunisia, and now Andira.

[kevin]

Is it just me or there have been more medistorms/canes than usual this year? How many followed after Ianos which hit Greece on September?

According to the very unofficial but still informative Mediterranean Cyclone Centre, there have been 5 medistorms this calender year.
Note that since there is no official organization in charge of keeping an eye on these, the pressures and wind speeds could vary depending on the source.
For David/Masinissa and Elaina/Andira I couldn't find any semi-official estimates to I took the estimates from the members here in the Storm2k threads.

*Athena (Gloria) - 993 mbar - 62 mph - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Gloria - No Storm2k thread
*Benjamin - 989 mbar - 35+ mph - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Middle_East_storms - No Storm2k thread
*Cassilda (Ianos) - 995 mbar - 75 mph - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Ianos - http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=121371
*David (Masinissa) - 1006 mbar - 60 mph - No Wikipedia page - http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=121613
*Elaina (Andira) - 1004 mbar - 40 mph - No Wikipedia page - http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=121649

[Vince_and_Grace_fan]

*Athena (Gloria) - 993 mbar - 62 mph - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Gloria - No Storm2k thread
*Benjamin - 989 mbar - 35+ mph - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Middle_East_storms - No Storm2k thread
*Cassilda (Ianos) - 995 mbar - 75 mph - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Ianos - http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=121371
*David (Masinissa) - 1006 mbar - 60 mph - No Wikipedia page - http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=121613
*Elaina (Andira) - 1004 mbar - 40 mph - No Wikipedia page - http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=121649

The first two systems were extratropical, and the first one was simply a windstorm which are common in West and Northwest Europe in the winter season (from late autumn to early spring).

[Europa non è lontana]

Afternoon radar loop from Hatay -

[doomhaMwx]

About to make landfall near the Syria-Lebanon border.

[Vince_and_Grace_fan]

The landfall occuring about now. It will be hard to tell the intensity of the cyclone as surface observations in that area are very poorly (especially in the night hors), I also haven't found any ship report earlier and all of the ASCAT sensors missed the cyclone in the morning. Based on the satellite and radar images, it probably peaked with 55-60 kt winds around 12 UTC when it produced a large burst of convection with -55, -60 °C cloud tops, the radar showed closed eye and an eye-like feature appeared even on the infrared (cloud top) satellite images. The central pressure may remain unclear, but I hope I or someone else will find data from the cyclone in the future.

Some animations:

[supercane4867]

Tropical Storm

[johngaltfla]

THAT was a subtropical TS at a minimum. Wow. Super impressive and great photos supercane4867.