Levanter

For the football (soccer) team, see Levante UD

The Levanter is an easterly wind that blows in the Western Mediterranean. The wind rises in the central Mediterranean or around the Balearic Islands and blows westwards reaching its greatest intensity through the Strait of Gibraltar. The winds are moist carrying fog and precipitation. The winds are well known for creating a particular cloud formation above the Rock of Gibraltar. The Levanter winds can occur at any time in the year, but are most common from July to October.

The name of the wind pattern comes from the Levant, the perceived origin point of the winds. The opposite of the Levanter are the Poniente from the northwest and the Vendaval from the southwest.

Levanter is also a term for people who are born in the Levant, i.e. the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, especially those of mixed European-Oriental ancestry. "The Levanter" was a major bestseller by British author Eric Ambler.

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