The Coromuel wind is a weather phenomenon unique to the

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...

area of the Baja California peninsula and adjoining

Gulf of California The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja Ca ...

. Occurring primarily in the late spring and summer, it is a south to south-west wind that typically starts late in the afternoon or early evening and blows throughout the night into the mid-morning. It has a rapid onset and can be very strong especially in the Bay of La Paz. The basic mechanism of the Coromuel winds is fairly clear. The winds are created when the cool marine air from the Pacific side of the

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

is drawn over the desert to the relatively warmer side of the Gulf of California. It only occurs in the La Paz area because this is the only place on the peninsula that does not have a spine of mountains blocking such an air flow."What are the Corumuel Winds in Baja Sur"
BajaInsider.com The winds receive their name after

Samuel Cromwell Samuel Cromwell (died December 1, 1842) was a sailor and petty officer (boatswain's mate) aboard the brig USS ''Somers''. Cromwell was feared by the young apprentices who made up the majority of the ship's crew, and was rumored to have served on ...

, a

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

from the 19th century, believed to be a

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

. He visited

often and, according to legend, hid one of his biggest treasures on the beach that carries his name. Since natives could not pronounce his surname, they called him "Coromuel."

References

External links

Names of winds (Coromell)
Winds Natural history of Baja California Sur Gulf of California La Paz, Baja California Sur La Paz Municipality (Baja California Sur) {{Mexico-stub