Why do we see the Pyrenees very often from Toulouse at the moment?
It is part of little pleasures when you live in Toulouse and the Toulouse region. See the Pyrenees in the distance and feel like the mountain range has never been so close. And yet, the Pyrenees are far away. 120 kilometers, 150 kilometers. But at the moment, we see them very well and very clearly very regularly.
The foehn effect
It is linked to a weather effect: the foehn effect. And above all it’s because for days there’s only been south wind blowing. And it is he who allows this striking optical effect affirmed Christophe Dedieu from Météo-Pyrénées.
“We have been seeing the Pyrenees from Toulouse regularly for several weeks because the flow at altitude and high altitude is mainly oriented towards the south-west sector or towards the south sector. This means that Toulouse, which is to the immediate north of the Pyrenees, finds itself on the leeward side as opposed to the windward side on the Spanish side. And so the air arriving on the Spanish side in the south, discharges its humidity on the Pyrenees, and coming down to the north, it dries up. This is called the Foehn effect.
This foehn effect therefore chases clouds and lowers with humidity . It is therefore he who allows you to have this extraordinary view of the entire Pyrenees chain from Toulouse, insists Christophe Dedieu: “Some mornings and evenings, this phenomenon is combined with such extraordinary colors because there are lenticular clouds forming. Low clouds at high altitude that sunlight passes through. And it gives these very beautiful colors.”
Very dry weather
This Foehn effect is regular in winter. But at the moment, it’s often… even almost every day, insists the president of Météo-Pyrénées. “There is a difference between “often”… This effect which also occurs regularly during our winters and the “all the time” of this year. It is nevertheless quite exceptional. Since the beginning of December, we There is only southerly wind when normally we should also have shifts, in the west and north-west sector which would bring us rain. And that’s also why the drought persists.”
Indeed, this foehn effect is also what explains the drought and the very low rainfall for weeks. A much less satisfying finding.