The winds that blow in different regions of the world often have a particular name and this week we will test your knowledge of the names of winds.

1.    This is a cold, violent downhill wind that arises in the mountains of France and flows to the Mediterranean Sea. Can you name it?

2.    This wind hot, dry and very dusty wind blows southwards from the Sahara Desert to the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa, mostly in winter. It can block out the sun for days and carries a lot of dust. What is it called?

3.    Which wind blows from the Bay of Bengal, picking up moisture from there, and brings heavy rain to the Subcontinent and South Asia in summer and causes dry winters?

4.    Named after the native people of the area, which hot and dry wind blows in the Pacific Northwest of Canada and America, and takes its name from the native people of the area. It is also called ‘Snow Eater’ and can cause huge change in temperature and heavy melting of snow.

5.    This hot, dry wind clouds of dust as it blows mainly in Victoria and New South Wales, in Australia, during summer. It is almost always followed by strong and cooler air from the sea. What’s its name?

6.    Name the hot, dry wind that blows across coastal Southern California and northern Baja California, US?

7.    This wind blows across North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, carrying dense clouds of dust that leads the locals to stay indoors and wait for it to pass, It can also cause electrical disturbances and the name is derived from the Arabic word for ‘fifty’, as it could blow up to fifty days at a time! Name it.

8.    What is the name of a strong, sometimes violent, wind which occurs off southern Mexico during winter and is named after a Mexican town.

9.    Name the violent wind occurring off south-east Brazil, between May and September.

10.    The cold nashi wind occurs in which country during winter? — Rehan Jalal 

Answers:

1.    Mistral. They often reach 125 miles per hour.

2.    Harmattan

3.    Monsoon. It occurs in West Africa and Asia-Australasia too not so strongly.

4.    Chinook

5.    Brickfielder. It is named so because when it blew across a New South Wales district Brickfields, it picked up red brick dust back in the days when Sydney was being built.

6.    Santa Ana, which blows in autumn and winter, and can be either cold or hot depending on the areas in which it arises. 7.    Khamsin

8.    Tehuantepecer, named after the Mexican town of Tehuantepec, which means Jaguar Hill.

9.    Abroholos.

10.    Iran, on the gulf coastal region of Iran. It starts in the highlands and picks up speed as it moves down.