‘Today the winds are Levante’, if you live in Spain, you may have heard this before, but how do the locals know which wind is which and what it means?
Levante and Poniente are the two types of winds that can be found mostly in Southern Spain, the Cádiz area and the Strait of Gibraltar. The actual terms come from where the sun sets and rises: the sun rises (levantarse) on the east and sets (ponerse) on the west. Hence why if the wind is blowing from the east it is levante and if its coming form the west its poniente.
That makes sense, but how do we know what each wind causes? They both have their negatives and good points. Levante wind, comes from the Mediterranean sea and is characterised by being a hot, dry and harsh wind and causes a sense of ‘stuffiness’. These winds are also bad for sailors as they tend to be strong but great for kitesurfers on the Cadiz coast. When levante is blowing it’s not ideal for the beach as it can blow around a lot of sand.
On the other hand, poniente blows from the Atlantic and is often cooler and stabilises and refreshes the coastal temperatures. However, the negative of these winds is that it can wash up thick algae and seaweed which cover beaches, and will often only be washed away after levante hits. The strait of Gibraltar is a difficult stretch of land as both winds and oceans clash creating an overall very windy area.
It is important to highlight that depending on where you are located along the Andalusian and Valencian coast, the winds can affect waves, temperatures and lifestyle in different ways.
Do you understand the Spanish winds a bit better now? At least the next time you hear someone’s wind-lingo you will know exactly what they are referring to! We chatted about this topic on our recent show:
