The tramontana is a regional north or northeasterly wind—cold, dry, and often violent—that blows over northeastern Spain (especially the Empordà and northern Catalonia), the Balearic Islands (Menorca bears the most intense impacts), and the French Roussillon. Its name comes from the Latin transmontanus (from beyond the mountains), as it originates north of the Pyrenees. It occurs when an anticyclone sits over the North Atlantic or western Europe and a depression lies over the Mediterranean or northern Italy, generating a strong north-south pressure gradient. Cold continental air is channelled through the eastern Pyrenean passes and accelerates through the Venturi effect as it descends toward the Mediterranean. Gusts can exceed 150 km/h at Cap de Creus and Menorca. The tramontana can blow for 3 to 6 consecutive days, with significant effects: intense swells in the northwestern Mediterranean, elevated wildfire risk in summer (being a dry wind), difficulty for navigation and fishing, and notable temperature drops. Culturally, the tramontana holds an important place in regional identity: it is said to "drive mad" those who endure it for days, and Salvador Dalí frequently evoked it in his work. It is related to the cierzo of the Ebro valley and the French mistral, all cold northerly winds channelled by orography.