The Gregale (Catalan: Gregal, Croatian: Gregal, Italian: Grecale, Lombard: Grecal, Maltese: Grigal, Occitan: Gregau, Greek: Γραίγος, Graigos) Is A Mediterranean Wind That Can Occur During Times When A Low-pressure Area Moves Through The Area To The South Of Malta And Causes A Strong, Cool, Northeasterly Wind To Affect The Island. It Also Affects Other Islands Of The Western Mediterranean. The Italian Name “Grecale” Could Be Translated As Greek Wind, As The Wind Starts At The Ionian Island Zakynthos.

The Libeccio is a warm, moist southwesterly wind that affects the western Mediterranean, particularly the Tyrrhenian Sea, Corsica, Sardinia, and the coastal regions of Italy and southern France.

Key Sailing Facts:
• Direction: Blows from the SW (225°), pushing toward the NE.
• Strength: Can range from moderate breezes to gale-force winds, especially when associated with low-pressure systems moving across the Mediterranean.
• Sea Conditions: Kicks up heavy, confused seas and long swell—especially along west-facing shores. This can make anchorages on those coasts untenable.
• Weather Setup: Linked to Atlantic-born depressions moving eastward. The Libeccio often arrives ahead of a front, bringing rain, thunderstorms, and humid air.

• Affected Areas:
◦ Western Corsica & Sardinia – strong swells and difficult anchorages
◦ Italian Riviera, Genoa, La Spezia – rough seas and coastal flooding risk
◦ Strait of Bonifacio – can be hazardous due to funnelling effect

Navigational Risk:
• The Libeccio is deceptive—it may build quickly and shift unpredictably. It also affects harbor entrances and swell-exposed ports, especially those facing W to SW.
• In narrow channels and between islands (like the Strait of Bonifacio), wind acceleration can be severe.

Name & Origins:
• From the Latin “Lips” (originally Greek), meaning west.
• In regional Italian dialects, it can also be called “Africo”, reflecting its African origins as it often carries warm, humid air from the Maghreb.

Captain’s Tip:
When planning a crossing from mainland Italy to the western isles or vice versa, check for incoming Libeccio systems—they can trap you on a lee shore with poor holding. In harbors open to the SW, move early or hunker down tight.
Best avoided offshore unless well-prepared and on a downwind run.

Meltemi Winds – Aegean Summer Sailing

During the summer months in Greece, a regional pressure gradient sets the stage for the Meltemi Winds, a dominant weather pattern in the Aegean Sea. A high-pressure system builds over the Balkans, while a thermal low develops over Turkey. This contrast draws strong northerly winds across the Aegean, especially from mid-June through September.

The Meltemi typically peaks during the day and eases overnight. It’s driven in part by the differential heating of land and sea—hot air over the mainland rises, pulling in cooler air from the north and northeast. While sometimes referred to as part of a broader Siberian High or influenced by distant pressure systems like the Aleutian Low, the main mechanism is regional and seasonal.

For sailors, the Meltemi is a double-edged sword. Its strength and reliability make for exhilarating passages under sail, but conditions can quickly become challenging:

• Wind Strength: Regularly force 5–7 Beaufort, occasionally higher in funneling channels like between Andros and Tinos or around the Cyclades.

• Sea State: Builds rapidly, especially in open fetch areas—expect steep, short-period waves.

• Anchoring: Secure holding is essential; some anchorages offer poor protection from the north.

• Harbor Entries: Crosswinds can complicate docking maneuvers, especially in small island ports.

• Nighttime Lulls: Winds often ease at night, but not always—plan passages accordingly.

Still, for experienced cruisers prepared for spirited conditions, the Meltemi offers a uniquely Greek sailing experience—dry, cool, and beautifully bracing on a hot July afternoon.

I’m on a leg from Paros to Amorgos. Forecast said Meltemi 20–25 knots, but it’s gusting well past 30. I feel it in my gut as soon as we clear the lee of Naxos—whitecaps stacked up, the boat punching through chop. The autopilot doesn’t like it. I take over.

The rhumb line looks simple on paper, but out here, it feels wrong. Every time I try to follow it, the motion gets worse—slamming, twisting. I fall off course a few degrees and everything settles. The boat sails smoother, we’re moving fast, even if it’s not the shortest path. I feel a little relief in my shoulders.

I’d planned to anchor at Katapola, but by the time we’re three miles out, it’s clear the wind’s still funnelling straight into the bay. I change course mid-channel and aim for the south side—Kalotaritissa. Fewer boats, more swell, but the wind angle gives me better control getting in. I get the hook down, deep sand. I feel it bite.

The next day, wind dies around 6 a.m. I leave at 6:15. Quiet engine hum, flat sea, no stress. I motor north while it lasts. By 9, the breeze is back and we’re close-hauled again. No drama this time—we made miles before it built.

Same story between Ios and Sifnos. A friend tried to stick to the straight route and turned back. I zigzagged a bit but made it in—tired, sunburnt, but not battered.

It keeps happening like that. I sketch plans, then adapt. Sometimes the detours save the day.

The Tramontane is a strong, dry, and often violent northwesterly wind that funnels down from the Massif Central and Pyrenees toward the Gulf of Lion, impacting the southern French regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Occitanie. It is a close cousin of the Mistral, though it tends to blow from a slightly more westerly direction.

Key  Facts for Sailors :
• Direction: NW to SE (offshore from the French coast into the Mediterranean).
• Strength: Often reaches 30–50 knots, with gusts up to 140 km/h (75 knots) not uncommon.
• Frequency: Historically active around one day out of three, though in 2022, activity dropped to record lows.
• Weather Setup: Caused by a pressure gradient between a high over the Bay of Biscay or Spain and a low over the Gulf of Genoa or southern Med. Cold continental air accelerates as it descends through mountain valleys.

• Sea Conditions: Produces short, steep waves and rough offshore seas, especially dangerous when transitioning to calmer Mediterranean waters.
• Navigational Risk: Sudden onset, highly gusty. Sheltering near lee shores can become dangerous. Best avoided or carefully planned around when sailing out of Port-Camargue, Sète, Leucate, Gruissan, or Collioure.

Siroccos arise from warm, dry, tropical air masses that are pulled northward by low-pressure cells moving eastward across the Med with the wind originating in the Arabian or Sahara deserts. The hotter, drier continental air mixes with the cooler, wetter air and the counter-clockwise circulation of the low propels the mixed air across the southern coasts of Europe.
Effects
The sirocco causes dusty dry conditions along the northern coast of Africa, storms in the Mediterranean Sea, and warm wet weather in Southern Europe. The sirocco does not affect other parts of Europe. The sirocco’s duration may be as short as half a day or may last several days. While passing over the Mediterranean Sea, the sirocco picks up moisture; this results in rainfall in the southern part of Italy known locally as “blood rain” due to the red sand mixed with the falling rain.

• The dust can irritate the respiratory system, triggering asthma attacks and other breathing difficulties.
• The high temperatures and low humidity can lead to heatstroke, dehydration, and other heat-related illnesses.
• Some people experience headaches, insomnia, and general unease during Sirocco events due to the heat, dust, and humidity.
• The dry and hot conditions associated with Sirocco winds can exacerbate the risk of wildfires, especially during the summer months when vegetation is already dry.
• The dust can significantly reduce visibility, impacting transportation and other activities.