It was a medicane — a hurricane’s Mediterranean cousin. Conventional hurricanes usually require water temperatures over 79 degrees; medicanes have been observed with water temperatures as cool as 57 degrees. Wednesday’s system made landfall south of Benghazi within the desert country in northern Africa, where water temperatures are around 63 degrees. Medicanes are not technically hurricanes, despite the similar nomenclature; after all, “medicane” is a portmanteau of “Mediterranean” and “hurricane.” Despite this, they can deliver hurricane-strength impacts and harbor some tropical characteristics. The key differentiator is that hurricanes and tropical cyclones are warm-core systems and derive their energy exclusively from warm waters.

Source: Libya Today March 19, 2026 17:06 UTC