Bergwind (i.e. mountain wind) is the South African name for a foehn wind, a hot dry wind blowing from the mountainous interior to the coast. It varies from mild (about 10km/h) to gusts up to 100km/h that cause structural damage. It is strongest in the western portion of the continent.
It is named after the Drakensberg mountain range, as it moves from inland to the coast and becomes trapped and forced under a cooler layer of air on the leeward side of the mountain range.
These occur in winter in South Africa. You need a High pressure cell on land, a coastal low and an approaching mid latitude cyclone. Winds blow from the Kalahari high pressure to a coastal low. As the air descends it heats up at a rate of 1DegreeC/100m.
References
- Bergwind 1stweather.com
- Occurrence frequencies of minimum and maximum temperatures at selected aerodromes in Namibia
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