Cyclone Harry Triggers Record 16.6-Meter Wave in the Mediterranean

A powerful marine storm that swept through the central Mediterranean has been the subject of a comprehensive new scientific analysis, revealing unprecedented wave heights and severe coastal impacts. Cyclone Harry, which struck the region between January 19 and 22, 2026, generated a staggering 16.6-meter wave in the Strait of Sicily, marking the highest wave ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.

The findings were detailed in a study published in the scientific journal Communications Earth & Environment, part of the Nature group. The research was coordinated by professors Giovanni Scicchitano from the University of Bari Aldo Moro and Andrea Cannata from the University of Catania, alongside contributions from a multidisciplinary team of institutions including the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the National Research Council (CNR), ISPRA, the University of Malta, the University of Palermo, Colorado State University, and the Royal Observatory of Belgium.

The research was developed as part of the WAVEGUARD project, which is funded by the Interreg Italia-Malta Program and coordinated by the University of Catania. The initiative aims to enhance the monitoring and mitigation of risks associated with extreme weather-marine events in the Strait of Sicily by combining satellite data, buoy observations, tide gauge recordings, and high-resolution numerical simulations.

Among the most significant discoveries of the study was the record-breaking wave captured by a buoy belonging to ISPRA's National Wavemeter Network in the Strait of Sicily, positioned between Portopalo of Capo Passero and Malta. Additionally, numerical simulations indicated wave heights exceeding 10 meters in the Ionian Sea, highlighting the immense energy and scale of the storm.

The meteorological event also produced distinct seismic signatures. By analyzing data from 55 seismic stations distributed across the Mediterranean, researchers observed a historic spike in microseism, which is the seismic noise generated when powerful wave motions interact with the seabed. This data provides scientists with a novel, complementary monitoring tool to track rough seas in real time and evaluate extreme events against historical archives.

Simulations conducted across 19 coastal sites in Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria, and Malta demonstrated that local geological and morphological features—such as submarine canyons, paleochannels, back-dune depressions, and alluvial plains—can act as local amplifiers of coastal risk. In certain areas, these features funneled floodwaters more than 500 meters inland from the shoreline.

Experts emphasize that coastal vulnerability is heavily influenced by local topography rather than storm intensity alone. "The study shows that the vulnerability of coasts does not depend only on the intensity of the storm surge, but also on local factors, the amplifiers, which can be identified before the event by integrating high-resolution surveys, modeling, and monitoring," explained Giovanni Scardino, a researcher at INGV. "Knowing them allows us to guide urban planning, infrastructure location, and adaptation strategies."

The insights gathered from the research are integrated into ARCHIMEDE, a Web-GIS platform dedicated to sharing data on Mediterranean cyclones. These findings are expected to contribute to the ongoing development of prototype early warning systems designed to protect vulnerable coastal communities from future extreme weather phenomena.