Wind question for experts ¡¡¡

[gat]

Hi ¡¡¡

I've been going windsurfing in Tarifa for more than ten years so realized that the easterly wind generally get softer and even desapear during the night to be strong again the next morning

It is a wind that appear with the high presures and usually is very strong.

Can anybody explain me why this happens?

thanks

By the way...some people says that when the tide increases it gets stronger (I dont agree but who knows...maybe some of you do ¡¡¡)

[Paul]

Hi Gat, I think you're possibly talking about the sea breeze effect. The land warms up quicker during the day so the warmer air rises, the cooler air from the sea is then drawn in to replace that rising air, so you end up with an inshore breeze. Once the sun sets that mechanism ends as the land is no longer heating the air.

[gat]

Hi Gat, I think you're possibly talking about the sea breeze effect. The land warms up quicker during the day so the warmer air rises, the cooler air from the sea is then drawn in to replace that rising air, so you end up with an inshore breeze. Once the sun sets that mechanism ends as the land is no longer heating the air.

i think that that only happens when there is no wind or just with a breeze (what you say). But In tarifa we have strong winds that can lasts many days so i dont think that the thermic winds have anything to do with this.

Thsnks anyway

[BrickFielder]

I found this on a site somewhere which might explain the winds.

Tarifa has two prevailing winds: the strong and warm Levante, blowing day and night, and the colder Poniente blowing strongest in the afternoon. The reason why Tarifa's wind is so strong and well channelled is mainly thanks to the tunnel effect that the Straits of Gibraltar provide. This effect accelerates the wind considerably.