Confused about Mediterranean winds

[benalmadena]

Would I be right in thinking the hot dry wind which blows up from the Sahara during the summer is called a Sirocco wind, as I have also heard it described as the Levante wind. Also, what are the two winds that come together in Tarifa (one I think blows in from the Atlantic, the other comes down the Med coastline) to create the large waves which attract windsurfers?

[lis48]

The Levante technically is a wind from the East or North East that blows along the Med. when high pressure has built up over Western Europe. The wind from the West/ North west is the Poniente and the two interchange frequently as you say at Tarifa to the surfers' delight. The Sirocco is a general term for any wind from the South (HP over the Sahara) and tends to affect places further East such as Greece and Egypt. Levante and Poniente are local winds from different directions to the Sirocco which is more regional. It all depends on the High and Low pressure systems dominant at different times of the year.

[Guest]

Not bad Lisa, not bad, not a sailor by any chance are you?

[silver]

Terral (no sure about spelling)wind..is the hot wind we get hear, some think its a north wind but it is any wind that heats up from blowing over hot land. poniente sometimes is terral. Sirocco comes from the desert and brings sand with it...Canary Islands get that.

[El Cid]

There are two easterly winds that affect the Spanish coast. The Levante blows mainly onto the east coast but the local easterly wind that affects the area of the Strait is correctly called the Levanter.

Even very small pressure differences on either side of the Strait can cause fairly strong winds. If you look at a weather chart of the area and see the isobars running north and south then you are in for a blow - either easterly or westerly depending on the flow which is always from the high to the low.

Sid

[benalmadena]

I have had a look on the internet and discovered that the sirocco is known locally in Andalucia as the Leveche and because of its proximity to North Africa it is a very hot and dry wind, whereas further east the sirocco picks up moisture from the mediterranean and becomes a very humid. Is this correct?

[lis48]

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Not bad Lisa, not bad, not a sailor by any chance are you?

Used to race Optimists but also studied meteorology at university. But when I came here I couldn't understand when people said the Levante came from the Sahara in the south although its name obviously refers to the East. At uni we always called the Levante by its English name, the Levanter, a wind from the East that causes the cloud over Gib. When the Poniente blows, you can see Africa cos it's so clear.[/quote]

[Guest]

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Not bad Lisa, not bad, not a sailor by any chance are you?

Used to race Optimists but also studied meteorology at university. But when I came here I couldn't understand when people said the Levante came from the Sahara in the south although its name obviously refers to the East. At uni we always called the Levante by its English name, the Levanter, a wind from the East that causes the cloud over Gib. When the Poniente blows, you can see Africa cos it's so clear.

[/quote]

I've raced a few optimists in my time but I usually left them behind
but seriously I tried my hand in a 49er a few years back, I'll leave those for the youngsters!

[jpinks]

Winds all have different names in different countries. The strong, dry east wind is called the Bora in Croatia, ane the southern, moist wind the Yugo. I hear the locals in the villages here using different words for the winds, and they are not as polite as Levante, Sirocco, etc!!
I'm too big to sail Optimists, but I had a wooden enterprise for many years with "Other Way Up" written in large letters along the bottom of the hull. I tend to sail things that don't need such instructions nowadays.

[Lorraine - Mijas]

Winds in the Canaries are often referred to as Calima's , normally lasting 3 to 5 days, skies become a reddish colour and every surface is covered in red dust. The end of a Calima is generally followed by an invasion of dragon flies and large flying beetles blown in from Africa.

Just wondered weather jpinks and stantheman live next door to one another as you seem to have identical views on things , share the same hobbies and have identical cars imported from the same place !!!!!!!!!!!!

[jpinks]

Not that I know of. And I sail old wooden boats - stantheman seems to only sail plastic ones

[Guest]

Not that I know of. And I sail old wooden boats - stantheman seems to only sail plastic ones

Plastic, j, Plastic, that's a bit below the waterline, I'd be happier if you could refer to it as GRP, there's no way I will commit myself to maintaining a wooden boat, as far as I'm concerned I polish the hull, put a coat of antifoul on, dry off the ropes, hoover the cabin and I'm ready to go, none of that scraping, sanding and varnishing nonsense for me!

[Guest]

Winds in the Canaries are often referred to as Calima's , normally lasting 3 to 5 days, skies become a reddish colour and every surface is covered in red dust. The end of a Calima is generally followed by an invasion of dragon flies and large flying beetles blown in from Africa.

Just wondered weather jpinks and stantheman live next door to one another as you seem to have identical views on things , share the same hobbies and have identical cars imported from the same place !!!!!!!!!!!!

Lorraine, as far as I'm aware jpinks and I live several thousand miles apart, although I do have a summer house in Mãlaga province!

We share one hobby, sailing (which only came to light a few days ago via a pm).

We also happen to have imported the same car from the same scource, again a fact which only came to light a few days ago, other than that we probably don't have much else in common!

I'd hardly call that identical!

[jpinks]

....Just wondered weather jpinks and stantheman live next door to one another as you seem to have identical views on things , share the same hobbies and have identical cars imported from the same place !!!!!!!!!!!!

Read the locations Lorraine-Mijas. Only one of us actually lives in Andalucia.

[jpinks]

Not that I know of. And I sail old wooden boats - stantheman seems to only sail plastic ones

Plastic, j, Plastic, that's a bit below the waterline, I'd be happier if you could refer to it as GRP, there's no way I will commit myself to maintaining a wooden boat, as far as I'm concerned I polish the hull, put a coat of antifoul on, dry off the ropes, hoover the cabin and I'm ready to go, none of that scraping, sanding and varnishing nonsense for me!

Tell me that again when you're stripping the gel-coat and giving it the anti-osmosis treatment I don't varnish - I oil, and if you sail enough you don't get a very dirty bottom. I had copper sheathing - so I didn't even have to use antifouling - horrible stuff.....

[costakid]

Who did you import your cars from?

[Guest]

Not that I know of. And I sail old wooden boats - stantheman seems to only sail plastic ones

Plastic, j, Plastic, that's a bit below the waterline, I'd be happier if you could refer to it as GRP, there's no way I will commit myself to maintaining a wooden boat, as far as I'm concerned I polish the hull, put a coat of antifoul on, dry off the ropes, hoover the cabin and I'm ready to go, none of that scraping, sanding and varnishing nonsense for me!

Tell me that again when you're stripping the gel-coat and giving it the anti-osmosis treatment I don't varnish - I oil, and if you sail enough you don't get a very dirty bottom. I had copper sheathing - so I didn't even have to use antifouling - horrible stuff.....

Ok,ok, one mans meat is another mans poision, call me cheap if you like but I'll stick with the plastic!!

[Lorraine - Mijas]

Whats location got to do with anything, you can put anything you like, mine says tourist, but I'm actually resident just cant be bothered altering details, I could put "the moon" if I so chose but would it be true!!

[jpinks]

Whats location got to do with anything, you can put anything you like, mine says tourist, but I'm actually resident just cant be bothered altering details, I could put "the moon" if I so chose but would it be true!!

If you are a nice, honest and helpful Andalucian resident who is willing to give people advice on this forum - surely you would take the two minutes trouble to let us know where you live. Otherwise it might be presumptive of you to think that we are going to take you very seriously.

[Lorraine - Mijas]

I would assume my name doe's that for me !!!!