Sea wind: Everything you need to know about the different southern winds

In the south, as in other regions of mainland France and the world, winds blow in particular regions. We have all already heard of the Tramontane and the Mistral, also a well-known wind, but there are many others to know in order to navigate safely in a region subject to sometimes violent and unpredictable regional winds.

The Mistral

Location : Mistral is found in the Lower Rhône Valley, in Provence, and at sea as far as Corsica and even on the Côte d’Azur.

Characteristics : Quite similar to the Tramontane, the Mistral is a cold and dry wind, very unstable because it comes from the land. It blows in gusts of up to 100 km/h and causes storms in the Mediterranean. It comes from the north of the Rhône valley, the northwest of Marseille, the west of the Var, the Côte d’Azur and the southwest of Corsica. The northwest wind usually lasts a few days or even more than a week.

The Marine Wind

Location: Blowing over the Mediterranean coastal area, the Marin is a sea wind from the South-East.

Characteristics : The sailor is a strong and humid wind because it comes from the ocean. It is filled with moisture over the Mediterranean Sea and then deposited as drizzle, mist or rain on the first piece of land it encounters. It appears more frequently in autumn and spring. When they are not accompanied by rain, they are called “white sailors”.

The Sirocco, the desert wind

Location : The Sirocco is a southern wind originating from the Sahara that can be encountered in Corsica and elsewhere on the Mediterranean coasts.

Characteristics : The Sirocco is a hot and dry wind in summer. We know it well but we rarely observe it in France where it generally does not blow for more than a few hours. It carries Saharan sand which can be found on our cars after its passage.

The Levant, east wind

Location : The Levant is a wind that blows across the Mediterranean basin, Morocco, Spain and France. He comes from the East.

Characteristics : Often accompanied by precipitation, the Levant has moderate intensity. It is often the cause of flooding due to the accompanying precipitation. It usually blows in late fall, winter and spring. However, in Provence, it is sometimes windy in summer when the weather is clear, this is what we call “levant blanc”. You have to be wary of this, because in addition to causing heavy rain, it also makes the sea rough.

Greek

Location: Coming from the North-East, it is often found in Corsica, Provence, Côte d’Azur or in Rousillon.

Characteristics : Rather strong, dry and cold in Corsica and Provence and humid in Roussillon and the Côte d’Azur. It is also called in Corsica “Grécale” or “Grégale”, in Languedoc-Roussillon “Grégal” or “Gargal”, on the Côte d’Azur “Grécal”, “Grégal”, “Grégau”, “Grégou”.

The Garbin

Location : The Garbin blows from the South-West over Italy, the Mediterranean coasts in particular over Provence.

Characteristics : This southwest wind is a small wind that does not have much strength. It is this wind that gave its name to the car “Maserati Garbin” since it also blows in Italy. For the record, there is also a “Maserati Mistral”.