Wind in Mauritius

Wind in Mauritius

The seasons in Mauritius are opposite to the northern hemisphere, though the most constant trade winds occur in their winter time from May to September The wind in Mauritius is usually blowing quiet steady from easterly directions.

Wind is the horizontal movement of the air. The atmosphere tends to maintain an equal pressure over the entire earth just as the oceans tends to maintain a constant level.

When the equilibrium is disturbed air begins to flow from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure. The main force that creates wind is the difference in pressure from place to place.

The larger the pressure difference, the stronger is the wind and smaller the pressure difference, lighter is the wind.

In Mauritius the sun is permanently positioned somewhere close to the equator vertically in the sky and effects an extreme heating of the country underneath. The consequence is a highly ascending hot air current that on the other hand entails a cold air current at ground level. This colder air current is absorbed either form the northern as also from the southern direction. As a result of the earth's rotation, these air currents drift westwards, so that at ground level, a wind from north-eastern and/or south-eastern direction results. These winds are denominated as the north-east trade winds at the north and/or south-east trade winds at the south.

Mauritius Trade Winds

Trade winds are southeasterly surface winds that generally blow from the subtropical high pressure zone. The south-east trade winds have a direct effect on the climate of Mauritius. There is a light breeze from south-eastern direction the whole year through. Of course, this wind is obvious in the south-east of the island, while the north-west situated behind the mountains is protected against the wind.

But as a vacationer and as a local person one does not only notice the wind but also its effect on the climate: clowds often accumulate at the mountainsides in the south east of the island, slowly ascend and thereby release their saved humidity in form of rainfalls.

This is why in the south-west of the island, there are far more rainfalls as in the north-eastern part of the island.

Thus, it is no wonder that in the north-western part of the island the majority of the tourists are seaside vacationers, while in the south-eastern part of the island there are rather wind and kite surfers.

Winds recording in Mauritius

The wind records are made at receiving stations namely Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute Field Station, Pamplemousses and St Antoine Sugar Estate in the North, at Medine Sugar Estate in the West, at FUEL Sugar Estate in the East and Mon Desert Alma Sugar Estate in the Centre. The Services maintain anemometers at its stations at Plaisance, vacoas and Mauritius Marine Authority Headquaters, Port Louis. Anemometer records at Quatre Bornes are also analysed. In addition to these station, there are also are additional small independent wind records stations operated by local Mauritians and global weather forecast organizations.