Monday, July 7, 2008

Mistral of France

The Mistral in France is a fresh or cold, often violent, and usually dry wind, blowing throughout the year but is most frequent in winter and spring. It blows from the northwest or north of Europe through the valley of the Rhône River to the Mediterranean.[1] It also affects the whole of Sardinia in Italy.

In the south of France the name comes from the Languedoc dialect of the provençal language and means "masterly." The same wind is called mistrau in the occitan language, mestral in Catalan and maestrale in Italian and Corsican.

The mistral is usually accompanied by clear and sunny weather, and it plays an important role in creating the climate of Provence. It can reach speeds of more than ninety kilometers an hour, particularly in the Rhone Valley.
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