Part of the soul
The Mistral is as fundamental a part of Provence as the sunny weather, and it affects most of the landscape, architecture, art, food and wine.
Hold on to hat and glasses
If you have not been to the South of France before, you may be surprised at how suddenly the mistral can come and how strong it can be. Many who travel in the Provence region have experienced even well-attached parasols light from the restaurant and escape in the wind.
Formed north
The Mistral is a cold, strong northwest wind, which is formed when there is a high pressure over the Bay of Biscay (the bay between the west coast of France and the north coast of Spain) and a low pressure in the Mediterranean south of France.
The wind blows from the north-northwest and carries cool air with it inland. It “wanders” down through the Rhône Valley and increases in strength as it moves down through the valleys and is therefore most powerful when it reaches the southern French Mediterranean coast.
The Mistral has an average strength of 18 m / s and can reach more than double, which is equal to hurricane strength.
A very strong mistral can reach all the way to Mallorca and North Africa.
The wind is mostly dry and clear and in a few hours can blow the sky clean of clouds and dust particles. It is one of the reasons for the very sunny climate in the area of
By Tommy Sverre / 2021
