The heavy rainfall storm that affected Catalonia on October 3rd and 4th could have been much more than an episode of strong storms. An analysis published on the official blog of the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) points out that the powerful mesoscale convective system that developed off the Catalan coast showed signs compatible with an attempted formation of a tropical cyclone, a process that "had not been documented until now in the Mediterranean," as highlighted in the same work. In fact, the storm forecasts already indicated the possibility of the formation of a medicane —a Mediterranean mini-hurricane—, although it ultimately did not happen.

In the Mediterranean, a type of atmospheric disturbance can occur that, due to its characteristics, can be associated with a tropical cyclone, although with less intensity and smaller dimensions: the medicanes. The term medicane comes from the fusion of Mediterranean and hurricane. This phenomenon is nothing more than a quasi-tropical depression formed by its own warm core, induced by a large concentration of latent heat resulting from condensation. The energy released by this large storm translates into the formation of large stormy nuclei, with torrential rains, very strong surface winds, and violent phenomena, such as intense electrical activity, waterspouts, tornadoes, and maritime storms. If we observe it through satellite images, it is often accompanied by a kind of eye that resembles, in a certain way, the structure of a hurricane.