A low pressure system sometimes called a medicane dropped heavy rain over parts of Sicily on Friday. There were reports of flash floods in eastern Sicily. At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Friday the center of the low pressure system was located at latitude 36.5°N and longitude 16.1°E which put it about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Siracusa, Italy. The low pressure system was nearly stationary. The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1003 mb.
A small low pressure system located over the Mediterranean Sea just to southeast of Sicily exhibited some of the characteristics associated with tropical cyclones. The low pressure system looked similar to a subtropical cyclone on satellite images. Low pressure systems over the Mediterranean Sea with this type of structure are sometimes called medicanes. The current medicane southeast of Sicily has a symmetrical circulation with a well defined center of circulation. Bands of showers and thunderstorms are revolving around the center of the medicane. The strongest thunderstorms are occurring in bands in the northern and westerns sides of the circulation. Some of those bands dropped heavy rains parts of eastern Sicily. There have been reports of flash floods in some locations because of persistent heavy rain.
The medicane is in an area where the steering winds are weak and it is likely to remain nearly stationary during the next 24 hours. It is in an environment that should allow it to maintain its intensity during the next 24 hours. The medicane will be over water in the Mediterranean Sea where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 24˚C. It will be in an area where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. The strongest winds are likely to remain over the Mediterranean Sea southeast of Sicily. However, rainbands on the western side of the medicane will continue to drop heavy rain over parts of Sicily. Additional flash floods are likely to occur. The medicane is forecast to move southeast toward Libya during the weekend.