!!!Föhn

Foehn (Foehn), a sinking air mass which occurs when the air mass flows 
over a mountain range or the edge of a high plateau and blows down the 
lee side of the mountains, causing strong gusty winds. When the air 
mass reaches the valley or the foot of the mountain, its temperature 
rises and its relative humidity decreases. The foehn does not 
originate from a warm climate and a mountain range is necessary in 
order for it to occur. The sinking air mass in the foehn region leads 
to the dissipation of clouds; for this reason the foehn causes cloud 
clearing on the lee side of mountain ranges. The foehn wind is found 
in all mountainous areas. In the Alps two forms of foehn can be 
distinguished - the "southern foehn" (on the northern flank of the 
Alps) and the "northern foehn" (on the southern slopes of the Alpine 
region). Foehns occur most frequently on the direct lee side of the 
low Alpine passes in spring and autumn. The regions in Austria where 
the foehn occurs most frequently are the Rhine valley and the region 
around Innsbruck. The foothills of the Alps are also influenced by the 
foehn even though it rarely reaches the ground there. Foehns cause 
mental distress in humans as well as real physical and psychosomatic 
problems which are also considered to be the cause of certain 
sociomedical phenomena (increased frequency of traffic accidents and 
suicides etc.).

!Literature
P. Seibert, Der Foehn in den Alpen, 1993.


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