Levante (wind)
| Winds in the Mediterranean |
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The Levant is a warm wind of strength 3-5, rarely up to 8. It often follows the Mistral .
The area of origin is the western Mediterranean between Spain (the east coast is called the Levant ) and the north African coast. The wind there blows from the east (east wind) in a westerly direction. Bounded by the Sierra Nevada in the north and the Atlas in the south, the wind is accelerated and pressed through the Strait of Gibraltar, only to lose energy again in the Atlantic . The Levant can be observed at irregular intervals throughout the year. Typically, this phenomenon occurs every two to three weeks and lasts three to five days. The Levant is strongest between May and October. The highest speeds are reached in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Surfers and kiters use this wind on the Costa de la Luz between Tarifa and Cádiz .
The counterpart to the Levante is the Poniente , which blows from the west. Compared to the Levant, however, it is cooler because the air masses come from the Atlantic. In addition, it usually reaches lower winds than the Levant.
See also
literature
- Jean Vialar: Les vents régionaux et locaux . 1948, new edition Météo-France, 2003.