Fethiye enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and an average of eight hours of sunshine per day.
But like every hot climate, Fethiye has its fair share of storms and windy days.
The name of the wind
One of the things we love about living in Fethiye (and there are many) is how the winds have names. This isn’t unusual in itself, but what is more unusual is talking to locals, many of whom make a living on the sea and have intimate knowledge of the winds, referring to them with the familiarity of an old friend.
As we have recently been experiencing storms and windy weather, we’d like to introduce you to a couple of the winds that affect us here Fethiye.
Lodos
The Lodos has been classified as a fierce south westerly wind (blowing from the south west) which may prevail on the Mediterranean shoreline of Turkey all through the year.
The word Lodos is Turkish, comes from the Greek word “Notus”, and originally means “southern wind”.
Lodos winds are at their strongest in the afternoon and often die down at night, but sometimes they last for days without a break.
The Lodos brings wind and waves from the south from October to April, with a peak season in December.
Video courtesy of Turkey’s For Life
The Lodos is not an unusual wind type since it occurs around twenty times or more yearly. It’s sudden nature, however, makes it rather unique and often a danger to sailors who are often not equipped to deal with a calm, clear weather suddenly changing to treacherous one.
The wind is not entirely bad news because its occurrence drives warm waters from the south and these warm currents bring African dust from the Sahara Desert, giving the appearance of a sandstorm.
This dust is very rich in many minerals such as sulfate, iron, zinc and other minerals that are beneficial to plants which form the basis of the local people’s livelihood.
However, if Lodos winds continue for more than a day, these same mineral-rich dusts can cause different types of illnesses due to the fact that these minerals are not human body-friendly at all. These illnesses which can occur include headaches, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases.
Meltemi
The Meltemi are otherwise known as the North Winds. The Turkish use the term Meltem, the Greeks, Etesian. These winds are strong dry north winds that blow during the summer. The winds start during mid May right through to mid September – and some claim until October. It starts in the afternoon (quite strong) until the early evening when it dies down.
These winds generally bring low humidity, good visibility and beautiful blue clear skies.
They bring cooling relief from hot Mediterranean summer months and many visitors head to Çalış Beach in the afternoons to enjoy the summer breeze.
It is also great for windsurfing and sailing. Please keep in mind it can possibly be dangerous for amateur sailors.
Next time you’re in Fethiye and the wind blows, you’ll be able to greet it by name.
Sources: Geo Lounge/yachtsngulets.com
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