When the Mistral blows

The month of August begins with the Mistral: it will be what in maritime jargon is defined as an intermittent flow

1 August 2023 | by Redazione Daily Nautica

The month of August begins with the Mistral. It will be what in maritime jargon is defined as an intermittent flow, which from the Gulf of Lion spreads with the passing of the hours to Corsica, Sardinia, accelerating in Bonifacio Strait due to the convergence, then blowing through the Sardinia Channel and extending to the Strait of Sicily.

What does intermittent means?

Depending on the variations and differences in pressure, the NW wind will alternate reinforcements and attenuations but since the prevailing direction will remain that of the winds of the IV quadrant, even in moments of “attenuation” the wave motion will remain sustained. In the first days of August, the sea is expected to remain rough on the western sides of the islands and also on the Tyrrhenian coasts.

With a stabilized wind in direction, there are however some interesting and positive aspects to consider for the route choices of yachtsmen. First of all, it is clearer which coasts are exposed and sheltered, the choice of anchorages is easier, although ventilated, it appears stabilized by the prevailing wind.

The Mistral is also a wind which, after its initial foray, frequently clears the sky which becomes predominantly sunny, considerably mitigating the risk of strong thunderstorms, the great nightmare of sailors in recent Mediterranean summers.

Furthermore, for passionate sailors there is the possibility of exploiting this wind, depending on the pace to be followed, covering many miles with a good push on the sails. Following the weather forecast, it will be necessary to avoid being in exposed areas affected by the warnings. Medium-long term models indicate an attenuation of flows and a barometric rise on 6 and 7 August.

 

Gianfranco Meggiorin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The reader is personally responsible for the content of their comments. In no way do the ideas, opinions, or content added by readers in the comments to articles and news represent the opinions of the publisher, newsroom, staff or managing editor. Readers can not publish content that is libellous, slanderous, obscene, pornographic, abusive or in any way illicit and/or illegal, nor can they exhibit violent behaviour or verbally attack other readers. Notification of any slanderous, offensive, illicit and/or illegal content can be sent to the following e-maill: info@ligurianautica.com, specifying the comment including a direct link. The staff will verify the content and take any action necessary as soon as possible.

You might also be interested in

Environment

An unstable beginning of May

  • 2 May 2024

At least for all the first half of May the weather on the Mediterranean will continue to have the classic features of the spring season: fast storms and unstable days with the first maritime thunderstorms

© Copyright 2006 - 2022 Daily Nautica - A sea of news, every day.
Registration number 20/2011 under authorisation number 159/2011 of the Tribunale di Genova from 23 Sept. 2011 Editore Carmolab SAS – VAT Num. 01784640995 – Managing Editor: Alessandro Fossati
All content and images that are property of Liguria Nautica can be shared with the use of an active link indicating the source

Advertising | Authors | Privacy policy | Cookie Policy | Contacts

made by SUNDAY Comunicazione

Marchi FESR
SHARE