El Libya cyclone has surprised meteorologists to some extent. After what happened in Spain and then in Greece, Bulgaria and Türkiye, these thought that the worst of the storm Daniel it had already happened.
However, this atmospheric phenomenon was not willing to go away without causing even more devastating effects. As he passed through Libya and with renewed strength, Daniel It has caused thousands of deaths and the disappearance of entire cities. Next, we are going to explain to you what happened and what the terrible effects of the Libyan cyclone have been.
Why has Daniel become a cyclone?
While passing through Spain, Daniel was a DANA. These are the initials of an isolated depression at high levels and, as its name indicates, it is formed when a mass of cold air at height and another hot air mass on the surface collide. In turn, this gives rise to the appearance of clouds that discharge copious rain.
However, upon crossing the Mediterranean, Daniel has transformed into a cyclone. Low pressure systems have managed to place themselves below the primitive DANA and, with this, have reinforced it by avoiding the wind break, which would weaken it. On the contrary, with the help of warm waters, have generated clouds and storms around the center of it.
The result has been a hybrid meteorological phenomenon that combines features of a mid-latitude storm with others typical of a tropical cyclone, but in the Mediterranean coast. This is what, in climatology, is known as medicine (Mediterranean hurricane). And, as its name suggests, it would be a Mediterranean cyclone.
It is characterized by strong pressure and large winds around its center. Likewise, it causes convection and storms that form under the minimum pressure. Therefore, Daniel arrived in Libya as a kind of tropical cyclone that has devastated the country. But what exactly happened there?
The cyclone in Libya: what happened?
The so-called medicanes are not rare, but rather occur relatively frequently. But these are mild phenomena that hardly cause damage. What happens is that the global warming influences them. Curiously, it causes its frequency to decrease, but, at the same time, those that originate are much stronger. This is precisely what happened in Libya.
In fact, between eight o'clock last Sunday and eight o'clock on Monday, the meteorological center of the Omar Al Mukhtar University of Al Baida recorded rainfall of 414 millimeters per square meter. At first glance, it may not seem like a lot to you, especially considering that in Greece it reached eight hundred. But the problem did not end there.
On several occasions, the experts from the aforementioned university had warned of the risk that the town of Derna, where repeated flooding occurred. This is one of the important cities in the country by number of inhabitants. It has about fifty thousand, but its district reaches one hundred and sixty thousand.
It has been one of the most affected by the Libyan cyclone, along with the nearby Baida y Benghazi. To explain the deadly effects that this meteorological phenomenon has had in the country, we must talk about the complicated political situation that it has been experiencing for years. This has weakened its infrastructure and resources to face a storm of this size.
Perhaps for this reason, in Derna there were a cluster of circumstances that aggravated the cyclone. Specifically, two dams and four bridges could not withstand the force of the water and collapsed. You should also take into account the peculiar orography of the city, located in a valley and surrounded by mountains. All this caused it to be flooded. Unhindered, the flow of liquid devastated entire neighborhoods, carrying houses and people to the sea.
In the words of Hisham Chkiouat, one of the government positions in eastern Libya, "was like a tsunami." For his part, the expert Mohammed ahmed has pointed out that the chaos in security and the authorities' negligence in organizing security measures led to the catastrophe. Likewise, others point out that the very materials with which the dams were built would have caused their collapse. Is about castled, which are simply accumulated and compacted rocks, a bill that would not withstand the overflow. This is indicated, for example, Dragan Savic, professor of hydroinformatics at the Exeter University.
The devastating effects of the Libyan cyclone
In any case, it is not yet time to look for culprits, but to recover the victims and help the survivors. The very chaos in which the country is immersed means that not even the number of dead and missing is known. There is already talk of seven thousand with respect to the first and ten thousand as for the seconds.
But these, clearly, are not real figures. The sea continues to return bodies and experts believe that will double. More reliable are the data on victims provided by the United Nations Emergency Response Fund. According to those responsible, more than eight hundred thousand people would have been affected by the cyclone and, at least, two hundred fifty thousand They would need urgent help to survive.
In fact, they have already unlocked ten million dollars from their relief reserves to invest in vital supplies to take to the African country. With them, they intend avoid a humanitarian crisis caused by lack of drinking water and other factors. This is how he explained it Martin griffiths, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. At the same time, he has asked that everyone collaborate with Libya to restore a minimum of normality that prevents the situation from worsening.
In conclusion, we have explained why the Libya cyclone and what have been its terrifying effects. Several thousand people have died and entire neighborhoods of Derna have disappeared. However, as we told you, victims are still being found. Furthermore, not even rescue personnel have managed to reach all areas, as the roads have been destroyed. Dare to collaborate with the victims through one of the organizations that do it.