Rare Mediterranean Hurricane Daniel Captured Swirling Above Sahara in Satellite Images

Satellites captured images of a rare Mediterranean hurricane, known as a medicane, named Daniel swirling above the Sahara Desert and causing catastrophic flooding in Libya. The storm formed above Greece and gained strength from warm Mediterranean waters. Medicanes are relatively rare but can reach the intensity of Atlantic hurricanes. The storm set a new daily rainfall record in Libya, leading to the collapse of dams and a state of emergency declaration. Satellite imagery showed the monster storm above the desert surface. Climate change is believed to be increasing the intensity of medicanes, making them more potent and rainfall associated with such storms more extreme.