Tramontana

The winds of the Mediterranean
Tramontana Gregal Levante Siroco Ostro Lebeche Poniente Mistral

The tramontana (from the Latin transmontanus-i, "from beyond the mountain") is a cold and turbulent wind from the northeast or north, which in Spain blows mainly over the archipelago of the Balearic Islands and the northeast of Catalonia. It uses the north of the Pyrenees and the southwest of the Massif Central (France) as an acceleration zone, to enter the Mediterranean. It can last several days with continuous winds with gusts of more than 200 km/h.

In addition, on the island of Mallorca there is a mountain range called the Sierra de Tramuntana (Serra de Tramuntana in Catalan). In Croatia, more specifically on the island of Cres (the northernmost island of the Adriatic) it is called "tramontana" to the northern half of the island. This north-south division is determined by the 45th parallel that crosses it more or less in the middle. The two parts of the island have clearly differentiated geographical and ecological characteristics.

Navigation with Tramontana

Maritime season with wind of Tramontana in Collioure, France.

The tramontana wind is relatively frequent in the Spanish Mediterranean, especially during the winter months. There are two quite different areas in terms of the incidence of this wind: to the east and to the west of the meridian that passes through Cabo de Creus - Cabo de Formentor. To the west of this meridian, except for Roussillon, the High Pyrenees and Ampurdán, the tramontana is a cold wind that is hardly more than moderate (since the Pyrenean orography acts as a screen) and not excessively humid, it can only be associated with drizzle. As it is an offshore wind, the entire Catalan coast provides shelter from this wind and does not usually raise significant storms. But to the east of this meridian, the situation is very different, since neither the coast nor the orography offer any shelter; So, in this sector, the tramontana is a very intense wind that can relatively easily reach speeds close to 100 km/h, while raising very important maritime storms and very dangerous for navigation.

In the Balearic Islands, this same meridian mentioned above makes it possible to speak of two very different areas: to the west, the sheltering effect of the Pyrenees and the Majorcan Sierra de Tramontana mean that the north wind is hardly noticeable in the Bay from Palma, where the wind is light and terrestrial. On the other hand, to the east, throughout the Bay of Alcudia and especially in the area of the Artá Peninsula and especially in Menorca, the tramontana is a violent wind with a long maritime route that raises very important storms along the entire coast between Dragonera Island - Cabo de Formentor - Capdepera and the entire north coast of Menorca. Abundant shipwrecks on this coast attest to this, and for this reason it is also a well-marked coast, with eight important lighthouses in Mallorca between Dragonera Island and Capdepera Cape, and another three on the north coast of Menorca. The southern coast of Menorca and the area between Cape Capdepera, Cape Las Salinas and Dragonera offer important shelters for this wind. The tramontana is a strong wind also in the Strait of Cabrera, since, in addition to penetrating a little into the Port of Cabrera, it makes navigation to the Majorcan coast difficult, although, as it has little maritime route, it does not raise important storms.

In popular culture

Characteristics of stretchntana on Requesens and the Pico Neulós in the Sierra de la Albera (Provincia de Gerona, Spain).

When this wind blows, the sky is usually a deep blue. This name already appears in the works of Ramon Llull with the forms "tremuntana" or "tremontana".

The presence of the north wind is particularly intense in the Catalan region of Ampurdán, and there are numerous literary and artistic references to this wind. Josep Pla and Salvador Dalí have contributed decisively to creating a mythical and symbolic reference to this wind. The Empordà poet Carles Fages de Climent wrote the Oración al Cristo de la Tramontana , very popular in Ampurdán, which would later inspire a canvas by his friend Salvador Dalí, exhibited at the Dalí Theatre-Museum. Also, among others, Gabriel García Márquez refers to the north wind in Twelve Pilgrim Tales: it is one of the eight winds. The Catalan singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat mentions this wind in his song & # 34; From when I was crazy & # 34;, in the verse that reads:

"When I was mad I still kept

a couple grams of delirium in branch, in case they attack with their reason the sane

and a wind force six of stretchntana."