A sirocco from Libya blowing dust over the Mediterranean, Malta, Italy, and Greece
A sirocco from Morocco blowing dust over the Alboran Sea, Gibraltar, and southern Spain
'''Sirocco''', '''scirocco''', '''jugo''' or, rarely, '''siroc''' is a
Mediterranean wind that comes from the
Sahara and reaches
hurricane speeds in
North Africa and
Southern Europe. It is known locally as the 'qibli' (قبلی i.e. "coming from the
qibla".)
Origin of name
''Scirocco'' and ''Sirocco'' are
Italian names from which the
Greek word for the wind, "σιρόκος" (sirokos), is derived, while ''jugo'' is its name in
Croatia and
Montenegro, and ''ghibli'' in
Libya. The sirocco reaching the south of
France contains more moisture and is known as the ''
marin''. The name of sirocco in the southwest of
Spain is ''
leveche'', or ''llebeig'' in Catalan. The ''leveche'' usually carries red
Sahara dust and is associated with storms and heavy rain, the wind being very strong, lasting about 4 days. In
Malta, it is known as ''xlokk''.
[1]
Development
It arises from a warm, dry, tropical airmass that is pulled northward by low-pressure cells moving eastward across the
Mediterranean Sea, with the wind originating in the Arabian or Sahara
deserts.
[2] The hotter, drier continental air mixes with the cooler, wetter air of the maritime
cyclone, and the counter-clockwise circulation of the low propels the mixed air across the southern coasts of
Europe.
Effects
The Sirocco causes dusty, dry conditions along the northern coast of Africa, storms in the Mediterranean Sea, and cold, wet weather in Europe. The Sirocco's duration may be a half day or many days. Many people attribute health problems to the Sirocco either because of the heat and dust along the African coastal regions or the cool dampness in Europe. The dust within the Sirocco winds can degrade mechanical devices and invade domiciles.
These winds with speeds of almost 100 kilometers per hour are most common during the autumn and the spring. They reach a peak in March and in November, with a maximum speed of about 100 km/h (55
knots).
Similar winds
Other prominent wind systems in the region are the ''
bora/bura/burja'' (northwestern) and the ''
llebeig/lebeccio/lebić'' (southwestern).
See Also
★
Wind
References
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Scirocco/xlokk Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
2. Golden Gate Weather Services. Names of Winds. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
External Links
★
Names of Winds
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