The development of a hurricane-like vortex over the Mediterranean Sea wasstudied using (mainly) the UK Met. Office Unified Model. The Mediterraneancyclone formed in the morning of 15 January 1995 over the sea between Greeceand Sicily. Strong convection was observed prior to its genesis. During thelongest part of the cyclone's lifetime, strong surface fluxes and, as aresult, deep convection existed in its vicinity. Its track was influencedby the surface fluxes and the flow in the wider region. The forecast of themesoscale and limited-area models reproduced the general characteristics ofthe actual system as they appeared at the surface and upper-air charts andat the satellite imagery. The investigation of the cyclone's characteristicsgave strong evidence (including an ‘eye’ and a warm core) to support theinitial assertion that it was similar to tropical cyclones and some polarlows. Baroclinic instability does not seem particularly important, althoughthe cyclone formed at the edge of a baroclinic zone. A numerical experimentshowed the vortex did not develop in the absence of surface heat andmoisture fluxes. Another experiment showed that sensible and latent heatfluxes were equally important in its development.