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| Mistral: Cold, northerly katabatic wind flowing into the Gulf of Lion from the southern coast of France. Mistrals are most common during winter and spring, although gale-force events can occur year-round. The wind is characterized by the sinking of cold air generated over the mountains and then funneled through the Garone Valley between the Pyrennes and the Massif Central and through the Rhone Valley farther east between the Massif Central and the Alps. In the winter, wind speeds can reach over 100 knots off the southern coast of France. Gale-force Mistrals often develop when cyclogenesis occurs over the Gulf of Genoa with the passage of the 500 mb trough through eastern France. The effects of gale-force Mistrals can extend into the western and central Mediterranean, creating high sea states throughout the entire region, especially blowing through the Strait of Bonifacio between the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Mistrals are considered the most dangerous of all Mediterranean winds because of their high speeds and persistence. |