The Mediterranean countries are known worldwide as sunny and pleasant areas, paradise for tourism and relaxation. So it is most of the time, in most places; it is also a region with the highest frequency and concentration of cyclogenesis in the world which makes this area an important laboratory for this kind of phenomena.
The international scientific community has devoted continuous efforts to the study of the specific Mediterranean cyclogenesis since the beginning of the present century; the first achievements being near simultaneous to the advances made by the Norwegian school on frontal cyclogenesis.
During the late fifties, sixties and seventies, there were important advances due to the efforts of individuals and groups and several specific meetings such as the UNESCO/WMO Seminar (Roma, 1958), the NATO Project (1963-65), the US Navy Meeting (Norfolk 1970), UNESCO/CNR Seminar (Venice, 1973), and the International Course on Mediterranean Meteorology (Sicily 1976).
Later, ALPEX (field phase in 1982; final conference in 1985) signified a special step, because many of the resources of the experiment were devoted to Mediterranean lee cyclogenesis.
Most of the work done dealt with Alpine-lee cyclogenesis rather than other kinds of Mediterranean processes, and important lacks in knowledge continued to be present in those days. For this reason and due to the importance of the matter, WMO established (1984, EC-XXXVI) a specifc study project on Mediterranean Cyclones (MCP), within the framework of the Weather Prediction Research Programme. Since its creation, MCP has produced several meetings and publications. In the framework of the MCP, an ICSU/ICTP/WMO International Workshop on Mediterranean Cyclones Studies (Trieste 1992) was held.
MCP has recently received a new impulse, specially due to the activities performed from the Meteorological Centre of the Spanish 'Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia' at Palma de Mallorca. The WMO Executive Council at its forty-sixth session (Geneva, 1994) recognized the relevance of these activities through declaring the Meteorological Centre in Palma de Mallorca as a Regional Activity Centre for the Research on Western Mediterranean Cyclones.
On the other hand, the hazardous weather phenomena incidences in the Mediterranean, especially heavy rainfall and strong winds, is particularly severe and difficult to be forecasted. Several recent events have produced serious damage, and even deaths, in Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Spain, etc. Rainfalls of 200 mm in 24 hours have been registered from time to time in many places around the Mediterranean. Even extraordinary records of more than 800 mm in 24 hours have been observed (in eastern Spain and southern France). Sudden local winds can reach sustained speeds of 50 or 60 kts (in Mistral-Tramontane, Ethesian, Bora, etc.).
The PYREX (Pyrenean Experiment with field phase 1990) devoted important efforts to the Pyrenean influenced local winds and has provided a significant improvement in the knowledge of these winds, in particular the Tramontane.
A new Mesoscale Alpine experiment (MAP) has recently been designed to focus on key orographic-related mesoscale effects. Heavy precipitation in the Alpine and surrounding area is one ot the major objectives for MAP. Most of these heavy rain events are typically Mediterranean or induced by the Mediterranean.
Nevertheless the need for in-depth study and continuous improvement of the prediction of the Mediterranean hazardous phenomena themselves, as well as the establishment of possible connections between these phenomena and Mediterranean cyclones, is clear and urgent . For that reason Spain has asked and obtained permission from the twelfth World Meteorological Congress (Cg-XII) to expand the MCP to also cover specific Mediterranean hazardous phenomena, whether related to cyclones or not.
In congruence, Spain (through the 'Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia', INM), faithful to its vocation of compromise and service to the Mediterranean community, offered during the Cg-XII to organize an international symposium on cyclones and hazardous weather in the Mediterranean to include as well specific forecasting techniques and methods for all kinds of phenomena.
The Symposium contributions will be related to hazardous weather in the Mediterranean, and will keep a tight balance between scientific analysis and practical forecasting issues.
The presentations and discussions at the Symposium will focus on the following topics:
The Symposium will be held in the Auditorium of Palma de Mallorca, from the 14 to 17 April, 1997. The site description, hotel reservation procedure and other facilities can be find in the General Information part.
The city of Palma de Mallorca (population. 350,000) is the capital of the island of Mallorca and the whole Balearics archipelago, located in the middle of the Western Mediterranean basin, 300-400 km from the mainland Spain, France, Algery and Sardinia.
Mallorca is a worlwide known touristic pole, that receives six million tourists every year, atracted by the sun, beach and impressive landscapes. Mountain peaks of more than 1000 meters high rise abruptly only a few kilometres from the northwest coast. There are well-conserved, peaceful countryside areas and an efficient touristic infrastructure. The airport of Palma directly connects Mallorca with nearly everywhere in Europe, some places in North Africa and other continents. Modern ferries also connect Palma with mainland Spain.
Palma -located at the bottom of a beautiful bay- is a historic city, with a well- conserved old town. Its Mediterranean old structure of streets, arabic buildings, gothic and baroque churches and renaissance and baroque palaces combine to produce a unique ensemble. The impressive gothic cathedral, beside the sea, dominates the old town. Active commercial areas expand around, as well as atractive modern maritime boulevards.
Climatic information for Palma (mid-April):
Average temperatures: maximum: 19░C, minimum: 10░C
Average sunshine: 7 h/day. Probability of an overcast day: 23%
Daily probability of rain: 33%, more than 1 mm: 20%, more than 10 mm: 4%
The Symposium will be held in English.
The Spanish INM and WMO have agreed to stablish an International Scientific Commitee for the scientific organisation of the Symposium. The IC is co-chaired by Dr Philippe Bougeault (Mëtëo-France, Centre Nationale des Recherches Mëtëorologiques, Toulouse) and Dr Agustìn JansÇ (Instituto Nacional de Meteorologìa, Centro Meteorolgico de Baleares, Palma de Mallorca). The other members of the IC are:
The Local Organising Commitee, chaired by Agustin Jansa, has the following address:
Information about the Symposium will be maintained in the following Internet addresses:
The Symposium will consist of morning and afternoon oral presentation sessions and separate time for poster presentations and viewing.
The available time for oral presentations will be distributed among around 80-90 normal papers, plus 8 invited or lead conferences.
15 minutes, including discussion, will be devoted to each normal oral presentation, 10-12 minutes for exposition and 3-5 minutes for discussion. The invited and lead conferences will be lasting 30 minutes everyone, included discussion, around 25 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for discussion. The foreseen conferences are as follows:
Around 40 papers presented in form of poster have been foreseen. Several short sessions will be devoted to the oral presentation of the posters. The formula will be 1 minute, 1 transparency for poster. Poster viewing periods will be interpolated during the Symposium. Poster boards (95 X 73 cm) will be provided for poster presentations. People needing more space can ask for two boards. A few double poster could be accepted.
A detailed Programme will be provided to all participants by the end of January 1997.
The participants who have sent an abstract that has been accepted are kindly requested to send the complete paper before 15 January 1997. For those experts unable to meet this deadline, an extension may be granted until 28 February. However, the IC should be notified before 15 January. Only the papers in fact presented during the Symposium will be included in the Proceedings volum.
Please adhere to the attached format when preparing the papers. The format is the same for papers presented in oral form or as a poster.
If you have sent a pre-registration or registration form you do not need to register again. If you are not pre-registered, nor registered, please fill in the attached form and return it to the above address, as soon as possible. The registration deadline is 15 January 1997. Admittance is not guaranteed for applications received after this date. The IC and LOC will send additional information to all pre-registered and registered persons.
Contributions which abstracts were forwarded after 1 December 1996 cannot be scheduled, but if they were accepted by the International Commitee, they will be included as stand-by-papers and could be presented if another contribution was cancelled.
Just after the Symposium, on 18 April, two half-day additional meetings will be held at the same site. Both meeting have a private character, being only for Members or by invitation. The additional meetings are:
First Meeting of the MAP Numerical Experimentation Working Group. Chairperson: Dr Evelyne Richard, Toulouse.
Sixth Meeting of the WMO Mediterranean Cyclones Project Steering Group. Chairperson: Prof Djuro Radinovic, Belgrade.
The Symposium fee has been supressed. No fee has to be paid.