Terral wind
Famous and infamous in the Málaga area is the local weather phenomenon the Terral. In summer, the temperature can rise 10 degrees in the evening when you actually expect it to cool down. Then look at the wind direction. Chances are it is blowing from the northwest.
The Terral arises over the mountains northwest of Málaga, such as the Sierra de las Nieves, Serranía de Ronda. The air blowing over those mountain ranges is forced to rise. During this ascent, the air cools and can contain less moisture. On the other side of the mountain range, that air must also descend, and then the opposite happens. The air has become drier and therefore heats up extra.
Especially places in the Guadalhorce Valley are affected by this. On the coast and in the lee of, for example, the Sierra de Mijas (above Benalmádena, Mijas) the effect is usually somewhat less. The temperatures shown on this page are from Málaga airport, which is located in the Guadalhorce valley. The airport gets the full brunt, so to speak, when this Terral wind is blowing.
And contrary to what many people think, the Terral has nothing to do with air coming from the Sahara. On the contrary, when the wind blows from the sea it is extra cool. A phenomenon that does come from the Sahara, when the wind blows from the south or southeast, is the Calima. Then sand particles are carried towards Andalusia. This leads to unusual, red-colored skies and can coat cars and houses. It is not for nothing that many houses are painted in sand color. Or, of course, in white to reflect as much sunlight as possible.
