Crossword clues for harmattan
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sirocco \Si*roc"co\ (s[i^]*r[o^]k"k[-o]), n.; pl. Siroccos (s[i^]*r[o^]k"k[=o]z). [It. sirocco, scirocco, Ar. shorug, fr. sharq the rising of the sun, the east, fr, sharaca to rise as the sun. Cf. Saracen.]
An oppressive, relaxing wind from the Libyan deserts, chiefly experienced in Italy, Malta, and Sicily.
In general, any hot dry wind of cyclonic origin, blowing from arid or heated regions, including the desert wind of Southern California, the harmattan of the west coasts of Africa, the hot winds of Kansas and Texas, the kamsin of Egypt, the leste of the Madeira Islands, and the leveche of Spain.
Wiktionary
n. A dry, hot wind, blowing from the Sahara, prevailing on the Atlantic coast of Africa in December, January and February.
WordNet
n. a dusty wind from the Sahara that blows toward the western coast of Africa during the winter
Wikipedia
The Harmattan is a dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind which blows from the Sahara Desert over the West African subcontinent into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March (winter). The name comes from or is related to Ga haramata. It is cold in some places and hot in others, according to the circumstances.
The Harmattan blows during the dry season, which occurs during the lowest-sun months, when the subtropical ridge of high pressure stays over the central Sahara Desert and when the low-pressure Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) stays over the Gulf of Guinea. On its passage over the Sahara, it picks up fine dust and sand particles (between 0.5 and 10 microns).
Usage examples of "harmattan".
From time to time you have told me, in passing, of various captures - emergencies - storms - the all-dreaded harmattan itself - but little did I hear, and little did I retain, of a connected narrative.
Jack, who as usual was making what observations were possible - observations of temperature atvarious depths, salinity, humidity of the air and so on for his friend Humboldt - showed Stephen his sea-chest, which had been brought up on to the half-deck so that the joiner might add an additional till or tray, a very stout chest indeed, that had seen and survived almost every kind of weather the world could offer: but the harmattan had split its lid - a broad cleft from one end to the other.
Friday's market was more than usually crowded, and Stephen's anxiety to find Houmouzios was more than usually keen: the harmattan had cracked not only the Commodore's sea-chest but a large number of other things aboard the Bellona, including the caddy in which Stephen kept his small remaining store of coca-leaves: the omnivorous, insatiable Guinea cockroaches had swarmed in, fouling what little they could not eat, and already he was feeling the lack.
He put the personal message aside for further study and went in search of Jack, who was in the master's day-cabin with Tom, all three gazing very anxiously at the chronometers, which no longer agreed, harmattan, drought and dust having presumably deranged one or both.
Without you, my life has been as barren and cold as the night desert when the harmattan blows with its endless, sorrowful breath.