A Guide to the Winds in Spain


The Spanish climate is one of the most stable in Europe, however, it's not all sunshine as certain parts of the country can also be prone to windy conditions, especially during the Autumn and Spring months.

Wind gusts of 170 km/h have been recorded in Los Llanos in Albacete and it is almost certain that strong winds of over 200 km/h occur around the higher peaks in the mountainous regions.

Spain makes the most of its wind capacity and is a world leader in wind energy technologies second only to Germany and ahead of the United States. Spain holds these positions as a result of the establishment of a stable regulatory framework, a better understanding of the resource.

Live Wind Conditions - Canary Islands


Wind power is an important energy source in Spain because the Spanish government has sanctioned a green energy approach to guarantee an increase in the country’s wind generation capacity, with aspirations to produce 2.1GW of wind power by 2010.

The approaches of energy deregulation that have been initiated in Spain recently are generating noteworthy developments within the energy sector. Multilateral cooperation for involvement in wind power production throughout Europe has created investment prospects for the industry and lower energy costs due to the efficiency of the renewable energy source and its domestic availability.

On a more tourism level, Tarifa, the southernmost point of Spain and indeed the European continent has excellent all-year-round winds making it one the worlds leading destinations for windsurfers and other wind sports enthusiasts.

 

The Spanish have many names for the different prevailing winds that blow over the country depending on where you are from, here are the names.

Borrasco

A thunderstorm or violent squall, especially in the Mediterranean.

Chubasco

 A violent squall with thunder and lightning is usually encountered during the rainy season.

Levante

A hot south-easterly wind blows over the Canary Islands.

Leste

A hot, dry, easterly wind of the Madeira and Canary Islands.

Leveche

Warm wind in Spain, or a hot southerly wind in advance of a low-pressure area moving from the Sahara Desert. Called a SIROCCO in other parts of the Mediterranean area.

Poniente

Normally a fresher westerly wind that blows in from the Atlantic along the south coast of Spain Can be quite strong in often keeps fishing fleets held up in the southern ports.

Sirocco

 A warm wind of the Mediterranean area, or a hot southerly wind in advance of a low-pressure area moving from the Sahara or Arabian deserts.

Terral

A warm to hot wind that blows over the mainland from North to South, it picks up heat as it travels overland and can make for some very uncomfortably hot nights during the summer months.

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