One of the few "bummers" to avoid in Arles/Provence... the dreaded
mistral...The mistral, a cold, dry, northwesterly wind that howls through southern France, sometimes continuously for DAYS is created when air from an inland high-pressure zone passes through the Alps-Pyrenees gap and
funnels down the Rhone Valley toward the Mediterranean.
The wind velocity, amplified by funneling effect, at monsoon strength can at its worst can reach a
consistent peak of (
ugh!) 100 km/hr (60 mph).
The mistral can be so vicious and irritating after a few days it has been known to make people crazy with irritation (
it certainly did not do Van Gogh's mental health any good).
Mistral is
strongest and most frequent in the winter and spring, though my mere mention of it in October 2001 to the concierge at my hotel ("
Does the mistral blow here often?) made her literally shriek at me: "
Monsieur, please do not even say the word mistral!"
.. which tells me it could possibly pop up in the fall as well.
http://www.esys.org/wetter/mistrale.html has lots more information.
I've been lucky enough (
knock wood) to never experience it, and given my limited time I get to spend enjoying Provence in September/Oct. I hope neither you nor I ever do.
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Website: http://www-sop.inria.fr/mistral/infos/Mistral_Dico-eng.html
on Feb 27, 2003
