A derecho is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms known as a mesoscale convective system. During 18 August 2022, an extremely anomalous and vigorous convective storm, classified as a derecho, developed over the western Mediterranean Sea affecting Corsica, northern Italy and Austria, with wind gusts up to 62 m/s and giant hail (~11 cm). There were 12 fatalities and 106 people injured. This convective event can be considered as extreme from the affected locations point of view (in terms of winds) but also is comparable to the most powerful derechos ever recorded in the USA and Europe. The event received much attention in the media for its extraordinary impact and the rareness over the Mediterranean Sea and It has been demonstrated that a rare thermodynamical environment due to a recordbreaking marine heatwave and current anthropogenic forcing have substantially contributed to its development. In order to deeper explore the entrails of this unique event, here we look for a potential source large-scale atmospheric mechanism that could have led to this special thermodynamical environment, conforming a cascading event.
Juan Jesús González Alemán (Mon,) studied this question.