An area of low pressure is developing in the Mediterranean Sea off the northern coast of Africa, and it could become a medicane late this week and into the weekend in Greece.
A sharp dip in the jet stream over eastern Europe is expected to break off and become an upper-level low-pressure system over the Mediterranean Sea Thursday into Friday.
This system will bring colder temperatures into the southern Mediterranean, which will bring thunderstorms over the 70-degree water temperatures. These water temperatures aren’t quite warm enough for a true tropical cyclone, but with the cold air aloft, storms will follow.
The system is expected to intensify between southern Italy and Libya through the end of the week and loop over the Ionian Sea through the end of the week. By this weekend, this low-pressure system will be picked up and accelerated toward the northeast and toward Greece and western Turkey.
Very heavy rainfall is expected, with some spots across Greece seeing more than 3 inches of rain.
Gusty winds and increasing seas in the Mediterranean could be damaging to boats and other coastal structures. Damaging winds may also continue with the system as it progresses northeastward through Greece.
