levante

The generic name given to the east wind, commonly used throughout the Spanish Mediterranean coast. The term refers to the wind that blows from where the sun rises (levanta = rises). Having a maritime path, it is a cool and very humid wind that contributes to cloud formation over the mountain ranges adjacent to the coast and to the generation of very efficient rainfall, provided that the meteorological situation is favorable for it. In the Strait of Gibraltar and adjacent areas, this wind is channeled and accelerated, acquiring its own identity. There, both the frequency and intensity of the Levante make it a very prominent meteorological element. Although it can blow at any time of year, it is more frequent from spring to autumn, favored by the position usually occupied by the Azores anticyclone, embracing much of the Iberian Peninsula. In areas further east, it also manifests during autumn, associated with intense Mediterranean storms. The Levante in the Strait can blow for up to 50 consecutive days and reach maximum gusts exceeding 100 km/h at Punta Europa (Gibraltar) and Tarifa, where almost 60% of the time the Levante blows it is strong or very strong. It blows, on average, 165 days a year; a figure that coincides almost exactly with the days of Poniente, although this latter wind (from the west) is not usually as strong.