levanter

wind

Also known as: levante

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Also spelled:: levante

Related Topics:: local wind system

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levanter, strong wind of the western Mediterranean Sea and the southern coasts of France and Spain. It is mild, damp, and rainy and is most common in spring and fall. Its name is derived from Levant, the land at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, and refers to the wind’s easterly direction. The levanter reaches its maximum intensities in the Strait of Gibraltar, where it sometimes brings eastward-flying airplanes almost to a standstill. It causes foggy weather on the Spanish coast for up to two days at a time. The levanter results from a merging of the clockwise winds of a high-pressure centre over central Europe with the counterclockwise winds of a low-pressure centre over the southwestern Mediterranean.

This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.