Tornado-Like Spouts Are ‘More Likely’ as the Mediterranean Warms
Climate experts say warming seas are creating perfect conditions for waterspouts similar to the one that is believed to have hit a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean this week.
People watch a waterspout form over the Mediterranean Sea on Jan. 7.
Photographer: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty ImagesThe type of weather phenomenon that may have led billionaire Mike Lynch’s yacht to sink in the Mediterranean this week is now more likely to happen as global warming has raised sea temperatures, according to climate experts.
The tech tycoon’s luxury sailboat, the Bayesian, was anchored off the Sicilian coast early on Monday when a swirling mass of wind and water — known as a waterspout — rocked the vessel amid stormy conditions. It is still being investigated why the 56 meter (184 feet) long ship, worth an estimated £30 million ($39 million), quickly submerged despite being built to withstand hurricanes.