Classification of cyclone tracks over Apennines and the Adriatic

Cyclones that appear in the Adriatic Sea basin strongly influence the climate and weather conditions in the area. In particular, apart from the usually mild climate, cyclone activity in the Adriatic and the central Mediterranean Sea provide both the main hydrological forcing and the trigger mechanisms for a range of extreme weather phenomena. Therefore, a basic understanding of the cyclogenesis over the Adriatic Sea is essential. In particular, the classification of different types of cyclogenesis in the area is fundamental because it will help the understanding and prediction of the relevant weather phenomena. In this study, based on the analysis of the 4-yr (2002–05) operational European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts T511 dataset, various types of cyclone tracks are classified and the mesocyclogenesis areas in the vicinity of the Adriatic Basin are isolated. This analysis indicates that the following four types of cyclogen-esis over the Adriatic Sea can be identified: 1) type A: cyclones connected with preexisting Genoa cyclones [with two subcategories, (A-I) continuous track: Genoa cyclones crossing over the Apennines to the Adri-atic Sea, and (A-II) discontinuous track: new surface cyclones generated over the Adriatic Sea under the influence of a parent cyclone generated in the Gulf of Genoa (Genoa cyclones) and moving toward the Adriatic but blocked by the Apennines]; 2) type B: cyclones developed in situ over the Adriatic Sea withou