Monitoring extreme events in the central Mediterranean

In recent days, the central Mediterranean has been affected by the extratropical cyclone “Harry”, a severe low-pressure system that generated strong winds, intense rainfall, and storm surges with waves of considerable height. Although the event was not classified as a Medicane, it produced adverse meteo-marine conditions over Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria, and the Maltese area, once again highlighting the vulnerability of the Mediterranean basin to extreme events.

The cyclone caused widespread flooding, power outages, and disruptions to transportation, particularly impacting coastal areas. Severe storm surges damaged waterfronts and port infrastructures, while strong wind gusts led to fallen trees, interruptions of maritime connections, and temporary closures of schools and roads. Civil Protection authorities and local administrations intervened to assist the population and restore essential services.

Within this context, the project WAVEGUARD – Enhanced monitoring and disaster response to mitigate impacts of extreme meteo-marine events is particularly relevant. WAVEGUARD is funded by the INTERREG Italy–Malta Programme, coordinated by the University of Catania, and started in May 2025. The project involves the following partners: University of Catania, University of Palermo, National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology – Etna Observatory, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, National Research Council – Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment, University of Malta, Civil Protection Department (Malta), and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport – General Command of the Coast Guard.

The main objective of WAVEGUARD is to improve the capacity of the Italy–Malta cross-border area to cope with extreme meteo-marine events, such as cyclones, meteotsunamis, and severe storm surges. To achieve this goal, the project aims to strengthen and integrate observational tools for both the marine and atmospheric environments by enhancing heterogeneous monitoring networks (on land and at sea), numerical models, and information systems capable of analyzing data in near real time.

WAVEGUARD is not limited to data acquisition alone; it also seeks to transform observations into practical tools for authorities and the general public through prototype early warning systems, operational exercises, and information and outreach activities. The underlying concept is straightforward: improving knowledge of marine and atmospheric processes allows for better preparedness and mitigation of the impacts of extreme meteo-marine events.

Events such as cyclone “Harry” represent concrete examples of real-world scenarios that WAVEGUARD aims to address. These are intense, high-impact phenomena that require continuous monitoring, data sharing, and international cooperation in order to enable timely and effective interventions by competent authorities.

WAVEGUARD builds upon a long-standing path of research, monitoring, and cooperation within the Italy–Malta area. Projects such as CALYPSO, CALYPSO South, Beyond CALYPSO, SIMIT, SIMIT-THARSY, i-WaveNET, and others initiatives have laid the foundations on which WAVEGUARD is now being developed. Through these initiatives, marine and atmospheric observing systems (including HF radars, buoys, microbarometric sensors, and seismometers) have been installed and enhanced, stable collaboration networks have been established among scientific institutions, operational bodies, and Civil Protection authorities, and advanced expertise has been developed in oceanography, geophysics, numerical modeling, and emergency management.

Additionally, tools for real-time data visualization and analysis have been implemented, supporting both the scientific community and decision-makers. In this sense, WAVEGUARD represents the next step forward, bringing this consolidated knowledge and infrastructure into a prototype and pre-operational framework, with the explicit aim of contributing to climate resilience in the Mediterranean region.

To fully understand what occurred during cyclone "Harry", it is not sufficient to rely solely on news reports or images and videos of the storm surges. Data analysis is essential. With monitoring networks operating in the Malta Channel, it was possible to collect real-time information on wave conditions, sea level, surface currents, and other parameters that provide a comprehensive description of the event.

Through the synergy between scientific research, innovative technologies, and the development of emergency management strategies, WAVEGUARD contributes to building an integrated system for the observation and response to extreme meteo-marine events, delivering tangible benefits to coastal communities, ports, coastal infrastructures, and maritime navigation.

The University of Malta Team is made up of Prof. Sebastiano D’Amico, Prof. Adam Gauci, Prof. Alfred Micallef, Prof. Alan Deidun, Dr Matthew Agius, and Dr Emanuele Colica.