Relations between climate variability in the Mediterranean region and the tropics: ENSO, South Asian and African monsoons, hurricanes and Saharan dust

The Mediterranean climate is affected by several tropical and subtropical systems as illustrated by some evidence presented in this chapter. These factors range from the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and tropical hurricanes to the South Asian Monsoon and Saharan dust. This leads to complex features in the Mediterranean climate variability. It reviews some tropical and subtropical teleconnections to the Mediterranean climate. It discusses the South Asian Monsoon (SAM), which is a key factor influencing the climate of the eastern and central Mediterranean. It causes high variability in sea level pressure (SLP) over Arabia and the Middle East with high pressures in winter and low pressures in summer. The adjustment to the SAM couples the falling pressure and land temperature over the Indian subcontinent/Asia Minor with rising pressure and temperature over the Persian Gulf and Iraq. Red Sea Trough intrusions into the Eastern Mediterranean and the Saharan dust are also discussed in the chapter.