etesian wind

etesian wind

      remarkably steady southbound drift of the lower atmosphere over the eastern Mediterranean and adjacent lands in summer. From about mid-May to mid-September, it generally dominates the Adriatic, Ionian, and Aegean seas and the adjacent countries.

      The name (from Greek etos, “year”) is suggestive of the wind's regular recurrence. The wind is of such significance to human activities that the ancient Greeks announced its expected beginning in the marketplaces. An extreme example of its constancy is at Cairo, where July winds blow from the northwest, north, or northeast 98 percent of the time.

      The etesian wind, which reaches maximum intensity in the early afternoon and may cease during the night, is part of the general inflow of air toward a low-pressure area usually centred over northwestern India in summer. The wind is actually a dry monsoon wind since it is rainless and not accompanied by high relative humidity. It is not replaced in winter by a steady drift from the opposite direction, and thus the term monsoon is not generally used to describe this wind.

      Similar wind regimes and climates, called etesian climates and characterized by dry summers and rainy winters, are present in California, Chile, South Africa, and southwestern Australia.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Etesian wind — [ɪ ti:ʒɪən, ɪ ti:z , ɪ ti:ʒ(ə)n] noun another term for meltemi. Origin C17: Etesian from L. etesius annual + an …   English new terms dictionary

  • etesian wind — …   Useful english dictionary

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  • Etesian — The etesians (Ancient Greek ετησίαι annual (winds) , sometimes found in the Latin form etesiae), meltemi μελτέμι (Greek), or meltem (Turkish) are the strong, dry north windsof the Aegean Sea, which blow from about mid May to mid September. During …   Wikipedia

  • etesian — 1. adjective /ɪˈtiːzɪən,ɪˈtiːʒən/ Pertaining to a dry north wind which blows in the eastern Mediterranean. Is it from those etesian winds, or melting of snow in the mountains under the Equator [...], or from those great dropping perpetual showers …   Wiktionary

  • etesian — adj. seasonal; periodic (especially pertaining to wind) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • etesian —   a. occurring annually or periodically, especially such Mediterranean north wind in summer …   Dictionary of difficult words

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  • Marin (wind) — The Marin is a warm, moist wind in the Gulf of Lion of France, blowing from the southeast or south southeast onto the coast of Languedoc and Roussillon. It brings rain to this region which it has picked up crossing the Mediterranean, and also can …   Wikipedia

  • Bora (wind) — the North Wind. Feature The changeable Bora can often be felt all over Dalmatia and the rest of the Adriatic east coast. It blows in gusts. The Bora is most common during the winter. It blows hardest, as the meteorologist Baron Ferdinand von… …   Wikipedia

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