List of local winds
Encyclopedia
The list covers regional and local wind
s and local weather phenomena including seasonal winds.
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
s and local weather phenomena including seasonal winds.
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- AbroholosAbroholosAn Abrolhos squall typically occurs from May through August near the Abrolhos Islands off the coast of eastern Brazil near 18°S latitude, located between Cabo de São Tomé and Cabo Frio....
(squall frequent wind that occurs from May through August between Cabo de Sao Tome and Cabo Frio on the coast of BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) - AlizeTrade windThe trade winds are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics, within the lower portion of the Earth's atmosphere, in the lower section of the troposphere near the Earth's equator...
(northeasterly across central Africa and the Caribbean) - Alizé Maritime (wet, fresh northerly wind across west central Africa)
- Amihan (northeasterly wind across the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
) - BayamoBayamoBayamo is the capital city of the Granma Province of Cuba, and one of the largest cities in the Oriente region.The community of Bayamo lies on a plain by the Bayamon River...
(violent wind on CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
's southern coast) - BoraBora (wind)Bora or Bura is a northern to north-eastern katabatic wind in the Adriatic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, and Turkey....
(northeasterly from eastern Europe to northeastern Italy)
C-E
- CalimaSaharan Air LayerThe Saharan Air Layer is an intensely dry, warm and sometimes dust-laden layer of the atmosphere which often overlies the cooler, more-humid surface air of the Atlantic Ocean. In the Sahara Desert region of North Africa, where it originates, it is the prevalent atmosphere, extending from the...
(dust-laden south to southeasterly wind blowing in the Saharan Air LayerSaharan Air LayerThe Saharan Air Layer is an intensely dry, warm and sometimes dust-laden layer of the atmosphere which often overlies the cooler, more-humid surface air of the Atlantic Ocean. In the Sahara Desert region of North Africa, where it originates, it is the prevalent atmosphere, extending from the...
across the Canary Islands) - Cape DoctorCape Doctor"Cape Doctor" is the local name for the strong, persistent and dry south-easterly wind that blows on the South African coast from spring to late summer...
(dry south-easterly wind that blows on the South African coast in summer) - CersCers (wind)The Cers, also called the Narbonnais by those who live southeast of Narbonne, is a very dry wind that is colder during the winter and warmer during the summer. Originating from moist Atlantic air-masses flowing across the Toulouse area, Cers become intensified through the Lauragais gap. They are...
(strong, very dry northeasterly wind in the bas-LanguedocLanguedocLanguedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
region in southern FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - ChinookChinook windChinook winds , often called chinooks, commonly refers to foehn winds in the interior West of North America, where the Canadian Prairies and Great Plains meet various mountain ranges, although the original usage is in reference to wet, warm coastal winds in the Pacific Northwest.Chinook is claimed...
(warm dry westerly off the Rocky Mountains) - DiabloDiablo windDiablo wind is a name that has been occasionally used for the hot, dry offshore wind from the northeast that typically occurs in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California during the spring and fall. The same wind pattern also affects other parts of California's coastal ranges...
(hot, dry, offshore wind from the northeast in the San Francisco bay) - EtesianEtesianThe etesians ', sometimes found in the Latin form etesiae), meltemi μελτέμι , or meltem are the strong, dry north windsof the Aegean Sea, which blow from about mid-May to mid-September...
(Greek name) or Meltem (Turkish name) (northerly across Greece and Turkey) - Elephanta (strong southerly or southeasterly wind on the Malabar coastMalabar CoastThe Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...
of India)
F-H
- Föhn (warm dry southerly off the northern side of the Alps and the North Italy), the name gave rise to the fén-fēng (焚風 'burning wind') of Taiwan
- Fremantle DoctorFremantle DoctorThe Fremantle Doctor, the Freo Doctor, or simply The Doctor, is the Western Australian vernacular term for the cooling afternoon sea breeze which occurs during summer months in south west coastal areas of Western Australia...
(afternoon sea breeze from the Indian Ocean which cools Perth, Western AustraliaPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
during summer) - GilavarGilavarGilavar is a name of the warm southern wind which blows across eastern Azerbaijan and particularly in Baku and Shamakhi throughout the year. Gilavar is one of the two main winds that dominates Baku, along with Khazri....
(south wind in the AbsheronAbsheronThe Absheron peninsula, is a region in Azerbaijan. It is host to Baku, the biggest and the most populous city of the country, and also the Baku metropolitan area, with its satellite cities Sumgayit and Khyrdalan....
Peninsula of the Azerbaijan Republic) - GregaleGregaleThe Gregale is a Mediterranean wind that can occur during times when a low pressure area moves through the area to the south of Malta and causes a strong, cool, northeasterly wind to affect the island...
(northeasterly from GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
) - Habagat (southwesterly wind across the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
) - HarmattanHarmattanThe Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March...
(dry northerly wind across central Africa) - HalnyHalnyHalny – a foehn wind that blows in southern Poland and in Slovakia in the Carpathian Mountains. The most turbulent halny blows in Podhale, coming from the South, down the slopes of the Tatra Mountains; in Slovakia, on the other side of the mountains, it comes from the North.Halny is a warm...
(in northern CarpathiansCarpathian MountainsThe Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
) - Helm WindHelm WindThe Helm Wind is a named wind in Cumbria, England, a strong north-easterly wind which blows down the south-west slope of the Cross Fell escarpment. It is the only named wind in the British Isles, although many other mountain regions in Britain exhibit the same phenomenon when the weather conditions...
(north-easterly wind in CumbriaCumbriaCumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
)
I-L
- Karaburan ("black storm"), a Spring and Summer Katabatic windKatabatic windA katabatic wind, from the Greek word katabatikos meaning "going downhill", is the technical name for a drainage wind, a wind that carries high density air from a higher elevation down a slope under the force of gravity. Such winds are sometimes also called fall winds...
of central Asia - KhamsinKhamsinKhamsin, khamseen, chamsin or hamsin , also known as khamaseen refers to a dry, hot and dusty local wind blowing in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Similar winds in the area are sirocco and simoom...
(southeasterly from north Africa to the eastern Mediterranean) - KhazriKhazriKhazri is a name of the cold north Caspian Sea wind which blows across the Absheron Peninsula and particularly Baku throughout the year. Khazri is the gale-force coastal wind and one of the prevailing winds in the area. The speed of khazri sometimes reaches forty meters a second, which damages...
(cold north wind in the AbsheronAbsheronThe Absheron peninsula, is a region in Azerbaijan. It is host to Baku, the biggest and the most populous city of the country, and also the Baku metropolitan area, with its satellite cities Sumgayit and Khyrdalan....
Peninsula of the Azerbaijan Republic) - Kona (southeast wind in HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, replacing trade windTrade windThe trade winds are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics, within the lower portion of the Earth's atmosphere, in the lower section of the troposphere near the Earth's equator...
s, bringing high humidity and often rain) - KošavaKošava (wind)Košava is a cold, very squally southeastern wind found in Serbia and some nearby countries. It starts in the Carpathian Mountains and follows the Danube northwest through the Iron Gate region where it gains a jet effect, then continues to Belgrade. It can spread as far north as Hungary and as...
(strong and cold southeasterly season wind in Serbia) - Viento de Levante (easterly through Strait of GibraltarGibraltarGibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
) - Les Suêtes (western Cape Breton HighlandsCape Breton HighlandsThe Cape Breton Highlands, commonly called the Highlands, refer to a highland or mountainous plateau of ancient rock across the northern part of Cape Breton Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia....
) high speed southeasterly winds - LibeccioLibeccioThe libeccio is the westerly or south-westerly wind which predominates in northern Corsica all year round; it frequently raises high seas and may give violent westerly squalls. In summer it is most persistent, but in winter it alternates with the Tramontane...
(southwesterly towards Italy) - LodosLodosThe lodos is the strong south-westerly wind which predominates the Aegean Sea and Marmara Sea as well as the Mediterranean Coast of Turkey all the year round; it frequently raises high seas and may give violent westerly squalls...
(southwesterly towards TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Strong "Lodos" events occur 6 - 7 times a year bringing 35 kt winds into Marmara Sea. The winds are funnelled SE from the Mediterranean and through the Dardanelles Strait.) - LooLoo (wind)The Loo is a strong, hot and dry summer afternoon wind from the west which blows over the western Indo-Gangetic Plain region of North India and Pakistan. It is especially strong in the months of May and June...
(hot and dry wind which blows over plains of IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and pakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.)
M-N
- Maestro (cold northerly in the Adriatic seaAdriatic SeaThe Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
) - MarinMarin (wind)The Marin is a warm, moist wind in the Gulf of Lion of France, blowing from the southeast or south-southeast onto the coast of Languedoc and Roussillon. It brings rain to this region which it has picked up crossing the Mediterranean, and also can bring coastal fog...
(south-easterly from Mediterranean to France) - Meltemi μελτέμι (Greek), or meltem (Turkish) (etesianEtesianThe etesians ', sometimes found in the Latin form etesiae), meltemi μελτέμι , or meltem are the strong, dry north windsof the Aegean Sea, which blow from about mid-May to mid-September...
northerly across Greece, Turkey, and Aegean seaAegean SeaThe Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
) - MinuanoMinuanoThe Minuano is a cold wind that blows in the South of Brazil and in Uruguay. It is widely mentioned in the Gaúcho folklore of the region. This wind originates from cold polar fronts that come from the South west of South America during periods of high atmospheric pressure, usually following rains...
(southern BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) - MistralMistral (wind)The mistral is a strong, cold and usually dry regional wind in France, coming from the north or northwest, which accelerates when it passes through the valleys of the Rhone and the Durance Rivers to the coast of the Mediterranean around the Camargue region. It affects the northeast of the plain...
(cold northerly from central France and the Alps to Mediterranean) - MonsoonMonsoonMonsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
(mainly south-westerly winds combined with heavy rain in various areas close to the equatorEquatorAn equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
) - Nigeq (a strong wind from the east in GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
) - North wind (northern cold winds blowing from the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
to the Isthmus of TehuantepecIsthmus of TehuantepecThe Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was a major shipping route known simply as the Tehuantepec Route...
) - Nor'easterNor'easterA nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
(strong storm with winds from the northeast in the eastern United States, especially New EnglandNew EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
) - Nor'westerNor'west archThe Nor'west arch is a weather pattern peculiar to the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. For this reason, it is also often referred to as the Canterbury arch. It is shown in an apparent arch of high white cloud in an otherwise clear blue sky over the Southern Alps, and is accompanied by a...
(wind that brings rain to the West Coast, and warm dry winds to the East Coast of New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South IslandSouth IslandThe South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
, caused by the moist prevailing winds being uplifted over the Southern AlpsSouthern AlpsThe Southern Alps is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the island's western side...
, often accompanied by a distinctive arched cloud pattern)
O-R
- OstroOstroOstro is the traditional Italian name of a southerly wind in the Mediterranean Sea, especially the Adriatic. Its name is derived from the Latin name Auster, which also meant a southerly wind and is part of the etymology of Australia...
southerly wind in the MediterraneanMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant... - PamperoPampero WindsThe pampero is a burst of cold polar air from the west, southwest or south on the pampas in the south of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. This wind picks up during the passage of a cold front of an active low passing by. It takes the form of a squall line and there is a marked drop in temperature...
(ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
), very strong wind which blows in the PampaPampaThe Pampas are the fertile South American lowlands, covering more than , that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul... - PapagayoPapagayo windThe Papagayo wind is a north to northeasterly wind which periodically blows through the gap in the mountain ranges of Central America in which Lake Nicaragua is located. It is named for the Gulf of Papagayo on the Pacific coast in this region. The wind is stronger than the trade winds which...
periodic wind which blows across Nicaragua and Costa Rica and out over the Gulf of PapagayoGulf of PapagayoThe Gulf of Papagayo is a large body of water off Guanacaste province and the northwestern coast of Costa Rica. It lies at .The Gulf and its coastline are part of a major tourism project by Costa Rica's government... - PassatTrade windThe trade winds are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics, within the lower portion of the Earth's atmosphere, in the lower section of the troposphere near the Earth's equator...
, medium strong, constant blowing wind at sea in tropicalTropicsThe tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
areas - Plough Wind straight line wind which precedes thunderstorms or thunderstorm clusters
- PuelchePuelche (wind)A Puelche wind is a dry foehn-like eastern wind that occurs in south-central Chile. The wind owns its name from the Puelche people that inhabited the eastern slopes of the Andes. Puelche is mainly caused by South Pacific high pressure extending eastwards across the Andes and/or building a ridge to...
on the western slope of the Andes in south-central Chile - Rashabar (or Rashaba) ("black wind") a strong wind in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, particularly in Sulaimaniya.
S
- Santa Ana winds (southern California)
- Shamal (wind)Shamal (wind)A shamal is a northwesterly wind blowing over Iraq and the Persian Gulf states , often strong during the day, but decreasing at night. This weather effect occurs anywhere from once to several times a year, mostly in summer but sometimes in winter...
(KurdishKurdish languageKurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
term, signifying a summer northwesterly wind blowing over Iraq and the Persian Gulf states) - SimoomSimoomSimoom is a strong, dry, dust-laden local wind that blows in the Sahara, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Syria, and the deserts of Arabian Peninsula. Alternative spellings include samiel, sameyel, samoon, samun, simoun, and simoon...
(strong, dry, desert wind that blows in the Sahara, Israel, Jordan, Syria, and the desert of Arabia) - SiroccoSiroccoSirocco, scirocco, , jugo or, rarely, siroc is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and reaches hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe. It is known in North Africa by the Arabic word qibli or ghibli Sirocco, scirocco, , jugo or, rarely, siroc is a Mediterranean wind...
(southerly from north Africa to southern Europe) - Southerly BusterSoutherlySoutherly is the name of a storm or front of air coming from the south. In the Southern Hemisphere these can be cold and have bad weather. In Wellington, New Zealand these storms are normally short and frequently have winds gusting between 120 km/h and 160 km/h though higher speeds are...
(rapidly arriving low pressure cell that dramatically cools Sydney, Australia during summer) - Sou'wester (strong wind which blows from the southwest, and also a type of waterproof hat designed to protect from and repel wind and rain)
- Squamish (wind)Squamish (wind)A squamish is a strong and often violent wind occurring in many of the fjords, inlets and valleys of British Columbia. Squamishes occur in those fjords oriented in a northeast-southwest or east-west direction where cold polar air can be funneled westward, the opposite of how the wind generally...
(strong, violent wind occurring in many of the fjords of British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
) - Sudestada (wind), (strong offshore wind from the Southeast associated with most of the shipwrecks in Uruguay's Rio de la Plata coast]] coast)
- Sundowner (wind)Sundowner (wind)A sundowner is an offshore northerly Foehn wind in Santa Barbara, California. It occurs when a region of high pressure is directly north of the area, whose coast trends east–west. This contrasts with the more typical onshore flow...
, (strong offshore wind off the CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
coast)
T-Z
- TehuanoTehuano windThe Tehuano wind is a north to northeasterly wind which periodically blows across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico. The wind is stronger than the trade winds which normally blow here. It is notable for causing a pronounced increase in upwelling of cooler, nutrient-rich waters in the...
(periodic wind which blows across the Isthmus of TehuantepecIsthmus of TehuantepecThe Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was a major shipping route known simply as the Tehuantepec Route...
in southern Mexico and out over the Gulf of TehuantepecGulf of TehuantepecGulf of Tehuantepec is a large body of water on the Pacific coast of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, southeastern Mexico, at . Most of the hurricanes that form in the Eastern Pacific organize in or near this body of water...
) - TramontaneTramontaneTramontane is a classical name for a northern wind. The exact form of the name and precise direction varies from country to country. The word came to English from Italian tramontana, which developed from Latin trānsmontānus , "beyond the mountains/across the mountains", referring to the alps in...
(cold northwesterly from the Pyrenees or northeasterly from the Alps to the Mediterranean, similar to Mistral) - VendavelVendavelThe Vendevale is a westerly wind that blows into the Mediterranean Sea around the area of the Straits of Gibraltar and Morocco. This is generally associated with travelling depressions entering the Mediterranean from the west....
(westerly through the Strait of Gibraltar) - Zonda windZonda windZonda wind is a regional term for the foehn wind that often occurs on the eastern slope of the Andes, in Argentina. The Zonda is a dry wind which comes from the polar maritime air, warmed by descent from the crest, which is some 6,000 m above sea level...
(on the eastern slope of the Andes in Argentina)