Stormy sea winds

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the four Mediterranean winds: Meltemi, Mistral, Sirocco, and Bora

including their characteristics, causes, and impacts:

  Meltemi

Location:  Aegean Sea (Greece, Cyclades, Dodecanese islands).  
Season:  Summer (June–September, peaking July–August) .  

Characteristics:  
•  A strong, dry *northerly wind* (Beaufort 7–8, occasionally exceeding 100 km/h) .  
•  Blows during the day, calms at night; linked to the *Etesian winds* (annual monsoon-like system) .  
•  Enhanced by the Aegean’s topography: islands and mountains channel and accelerate the wind .  

Causes:  
•  High-pressure over the Balkans meets a low-pressure heat trough over Turkey and the Anatolian Plateau .  
•   Part of the larger Asian monsoon system, influenced by the Azores anticyclone .  

Impacts:  
•   Creates choppy seas, delays ferries, and affects sailing routes .  
•   Popular for windsurfing (e.g., Paros, Rhodes) but dangerous for swimmers due to strong currents .  
•   Clears humidity, offering bright skies but blowing sand on northern beaches .  

  Mistral 

Location:  Southern France (Gulf of Lion, Provence), Corsica, Sardinia .  
Season:  Year-round, strongest in winter and spring .  

Characteristics:  
•   A cold, dry, gusty wind from the northwest, reaching 140 km/h .  
•   Sudden onset, lasting 3–6 days; creates large waves (4–7 meters) .  

Causes:  
•   High-pressure in the Bay of Biscay collides with low-pressure in the Gulf of Genoa, funneled through the Rhône Valley .  
•   Generates a *lee depression* over the Gulf of Genoa, prolonging its effects .  

Impacts:  
•   Brings sunny skies to Provence but hazardous for sailors due to rough seas .  
•   Well-forecast by Meteo France; experienced sailors use it for faster sailing .  

  Sirocco

Location:  Southern Mediterranean (North Africa to Italy, Spain, Greece) .  
Season:  Winter and spring .  

Characteristics:  
•   A hot, humid wind carrying dust and sand from the Sahara Desert .  
•   Known as Ghibli (Libya) or Khamsin (Egypt); causes "blood rain" when mixing sand with precipitation .  
Causes:  
•   Forms from low-pressure systems over North Africa, drawing warm air northward .  
•   Gains moisture over the Mediterranean, leading to fog and storms in southern Europe .  

Impacts:  
•   Reduces visibility, damages crops, and creates oppressive heat .  
•   Predictable days in advance, allowing sailors to reroute .  

  Bora

Location:  Adriatic Sea (Croatia, Slovenia, Italy) .  
Season:  Winter and spring, occasionally summer .  

Characteristics:  
•   A katabatic (downslope) wind, cold and dry, with gusts exceeding 70 knots (hurricane force) .  
•   Sudden onset; known to derail trains and damage sails .  

Causes:  
•   Cold air from the Balkans descends rapidly due to gravity, accelerated by high-pressure over Central Europe .  
•   Triggered by low-pressure systems near the Black Sea .  
 
Impacts:  
•   Creates violent gusts and choppy seas; sailors must anchor on sheltered sides of islands .  
•   Unpredictable; requires monitoring of isobaric charts rather than standard weather apps .  

Key Differences Summary  

 Wind           Season             Temperature       Key Feature                                Risk Level  

Meltemi       Summer              Dry/Cool             Daytime gusts, clear skies              Moderate    
Mistral         Winter/Spring     Cold                    Sudden, prolonged gales                High       
Sirocco       Winter/Spring      Hot/Humid          Sandstorms, low visibility               Moderate    
Bora            Winter                 Cold                    Katabatic, hurricane-force gusts    Extreme     


For further details, refer to the sources on sailing strategies and historical impacts .