Mistral

The Mistral is one of the eight winds of the Mediterranean that blows into the Gulf of Lion.
It is a north westerly wind that blows down the Rhone valley on average at 30 mph (50 kph), with gusts that can reach up to 55 mph (90 kph). At night, the wind slows down considerably.

The Mistral usually occurs during the Winter and the Spring, but can also occur all year round.
It can last anything from one to two days, more often for several days, and sometimes up to one week.
It is produced by an area of high pressure in the Bay of Biscay feeding cold dry air into a Low over the Bay of Genoa. It is usually accompanied by clear weather and blue skies.
The Mistral affects the Rhone valley from Lyon to Marseille, Provence, Languedoc to the east of Montpellier, and continues south to Corsica and Sardinia, and occasionally on to the African coast.
It can cause unexpected storms in the Mediterranean between Corsica and the Balearic Islands. The Regions it affects depend on whether the wind is from the north west, the north or the northeast.

Gulf of Lion