Storm Daniel

For other uses, see List of storms named Daniel.
Not to be confused with Stormy Daniels.

Storm Daniel
Storm Daniel over the Mediterranean on 9 September 2023
Meteorological history
Formed4 September 2023
Dissipated12 September 2023
Tropical storm
10-minute sustained (EUMETSAT)
Highest winds90 km/h (55 mph)
Overall effects
Fatalities5,951+ (confirmed)[1][2][3]
14,000–24,000 (estimated)[4]
Injuries7,031+
Missing8,000+
Damage>€19.9 billion (US$21.14 billion[5] in 2023)
Areas affected
Part of the 2022–23 European windstorm season[a]

Storm Daniel, also known as Cyclone Daniel, was the deadliest Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone in recorded history, as well as one of the costliest tropical cyclones on record outside of the North Atlantic Basin. Forming as a low-pressure system around 4 September 2023, the storm affected Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey with extensive flooding. The storm then organized as a Mediterranean low and was designated as Storm Daniel. It soon acquired quasi-tropical characteristics and moved toward the coast of Libya, where it caused catastrophic flooding before degenerating into a remnant low. The storm was the result of an omega block; a high-pressure zone sandwiched between two zones of low pressure, with the isobars shaping like the Greek letter omega (Ω).[6][7]

In Greece, severe rainfall led to flooding that caused more than two billion euros in damage, making it the most costly recorded storm for the country. Libya was hit the hardest, with torrential rains causing two dams near the city of Derna to fail. This resulted in over 5,900 deaths and 7,000 injuries, with at least 8,000 others missing.[1][8] Libya's vulnerability to such disasters was blamed on its civil war, which damaged critical infrastructure and left it in poor condition before the storm. In the aftermath, several countries along the Mediterranean Sea pledged to provide aid to affected countries.

  1. ^ a b "Libya Assistance Overview, April 2024". ReliefWeb. USAID. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  2. ^ Akbarzai, Salih; Roth, Richard (17 September 2023). "UN revises previous high Libya death toll". CNN. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Death toll hits 11,300 in Libyan city destroyed by floods". NBC News. 14 September 2023. Archived from the original on 14 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  4. ^ "A year on, rebuilding Libya's flood-hit Derna plagued by politics". Al-Monitor. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Libya Hurricane Daniel: Situation Report 2 - 27/09/2023". Relief Web. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  6. ^ Badshah, Nadeem (6 September 2023). "UK heat and floods in south-east Europe blamed on 'omega' weather system". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 September 2023.
  7. ^ "UK heatwave: What is an omega block – and how is it causing our extreme weather?". Sky News. 6 September 2023. Archived from the original on 7 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Libya: Flood update Flash Update No.7 (23 September 2023) (as of 4pm local time) [EN/AR]". reliefweb.int. 24 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.


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