<Tr> <Th> The winds of the Mediterranean </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tramontane Gregale Levante Sirocco Ostro Libeccio Ponente Mistral </Td> </Tr> <P> The mistral (Catalan: Mestral, Greek: Μαΐστρος, Italian: Maestrale, Corsican: Maestral) is a strong, cold, northwesterly wind that blows from southern France into the Gulf of Lion in the northern Mediterranean, with sustained winds often exceeding 66 km / h (41 mph), sometimes reaching 185 km / h (115 mph). It is most common in the winter and spring, and strongest in the transition between the two seasons . Periods of the wind exceeding 30 km / h (19 mph) for more than sixty - five hours have been reported . </P> <P> In France, it refers to a violent, cold, north or northwest wind that accelerates when it passes through the valleys of the Rhône and the Durance Rivers to the coast of the Mediterranean around the Camargue region . It affects the northeast of the plain of Languedoc and Provence to the east of Toulon, where it is felt as a strong west wind . It has a major influence all along the Mediterranean coast of France, and often causes sudden storms in the Mediterranean between Corsica and the Balearic Islands . </P>

When do the mistral winds blow in france