The Mediterranean is one of the world's most popular yachting destinations.
The Mediterranean Sea connects Europe, Asia, and Africa and is rightly considered the cradle of the emergence of great civilizations. The length of the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea is about 46,000 kilometers, and its waters wash the shores of more than 20 countries. The indented coastline, the abundance of islands, bays, and inlets, the diversity of cultures, languages, and traditions, and numerous attractions, combined with a mild climate, make the Mediterranean truly a unique region for yachting.
In the basin of the Mediterranean Sea, the following are considered internal seas: Adriatic, Alboran, Balearic, Ionian, Cypriot, Cretan, Levantine, Libyan, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, and Aegean.
The largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea are Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, Corsica, Crete, the Balearic Islands, and Euboea.
The climate of the Mediterranean Sea is determined by its location in the subtropical zone, and at the same time, it is so specific that it stands alone in the Mediterranean type of climate. It is characterized by mild winters and hot, dry summers. In winter, an area of low atmospheric pressure forms over the sea, leading to unstable weather, frequent storms, and heavy rainfall.
Winds in the Mediterranean Sea.
Local winds characteristic of winter are the Bora in the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea and the Mistral in the Gulf of Lion area. During summer, a high-pressure system covers most of the Mediterranean Sea, resulting in clear weather with little cloud cover and minimal precipitation. The Sirocco, a southern wind typical for summer, carries dry haze and dusty mist from Africa. In the eastern basin, steady northern winds called Etesians prevail. A distinct seasonal shift in wind directions is only observed along the southern shores of the western Mediterranean, where westerly winds are prevalent in winter and easterly winds in summer. In most areas of the sea, northwesterly winds prevail throughout the year, while in the Aegean Sea, the winds are mainly from the north and northeast. Occasionally, though not often, tropical cyclones form in the Mediterranean Sea, usually in September and November.
Weather in the Mediterranean Sea.
The average air temperature in January ranges from 14-16 ° C on the southern shores to 7-10 ° C in the north, in August – from 22-24 ° C in the north to 25-30 ° C in the southern parts of the sea.
Summer surface temperature rises from 19-21°С in the north-western part of the sea to 27°С or even higher in the Levantine Sea. This temperature pattern is due to the increasing continentality of the climate as you move away from the Atlantic Ocean.
The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by mirages (Fata morgana), most often observed in the Strait of Messina.
Because the Mediterranean Sea is cut off from the Atlantic Ocean by the narrow Strait of Gibraltar, there are virtually no tides.
Seasonal changes in sea level are insignificant, their annual average for the entire sea is about 10 cm, with a minimum in January and a maximum in November.
Tides in the Mediterranean Sea are predominantly semidiurnal and irregular semidiurnal, only in some areas of the northeastern Adriatic Sea daily tides are observed. In the area of the Strait of Gibraltar the water level can fluctuate by 80 cm, and in the Gulf of Gabes, off the eastern coast of Tunisia, the water rises as much as 2.5 m – and twice a day.
