NORTH
We will take into account that this wind component can be of many intensities and that this makes it one of the aerological components with the widest range of possibilities both good and bad when facing it, it is not so for example with the west that, except the possibility of offering us a tailwind to travel more quickly is a generally bad component due to the practice of paragliding in this area.
With low intensity northern component conditions, we will find ourselves in scenarios conducive to good flight conditions as long as there is a minimum of instability and this component circulates above relief levels. We are talking about speeds that do not exceed 15 Kph. We will bear in mind that if there is formation of cumulus clouds, this wind has a tendency to make them run towards the south, leaving the productive areas of thermals in the shade with the consequent lack of breezes.
Normally, this component does not have medium intensity stages, that is, either there is a free entry of it that leaves the area totally impossible for paragliding or provides favorable conditions as mentioned above.
Yes, we can find winds with a north component in oriented slopes and with medium intensities, especially in winter times and that allow us to hold on, but without affecting lower areas in the south.
The inputs of this component with high intensities will almost always give us very bad situations due to its intensity, it must be taken into account that on days of high instability and at high altitudes, the breeze can mask the intensity from the north, producing large rotors and descending zones. Interestingly, we can find winds of up to 50 Kph in high elevations and volatile areas in low areas below 1000m. Take into account in these situations that the withdrawal of the breeze favorable to the flight, either due to the fall of the sun or other factors, leaves the entrance to the north component free very quickly.
SOUTH
This wind component has no greater associated risk than the sum of it with the topographic breeze and, as a result, a reinforcement of the breezes in the area under normal conditions. Consequently, it must be taken into account that although the relief is favorable to the south direction of breeze, an excessive reinforcement of this will cause equally dangerous areas in terms of turbulence and leeward.
EAST
Here it must be differentiated first and as a concept, what is the east wind and what is the breeze associated with the marinade, which in the present case, due to the situation of the sea to the east, is where it comes from.
In the first case, the east wind is associated with a depression in the Mediterranean that implies an entry of humid winds and cloudy skies, low ceilings and rainy days, giving few opportunities to the area to fly in favorable conditions. They are not usually very violent wind inputs except for rare occasions, they usually persist more than one or two days.
In the second case, winds associated with the sea breeze and, therefore, with an east or southeast component, is a phenomenon that due to recurrence and the time of greater frequency in which it occurs we will pay special attention, since it gives us a series of risks associates that we must take into account especially in this area.
The marinade is a breeze from the sea and the nearby coastal areas (Gulf of Roses, Costa Brava). It produces an entry, above all, of the overheated wind from the Empordà plain, giving a rise, in some cases even violent, in wind intensity and, gradually, a constant intensity is established, with high humidity and low temperature, as it sweeps away all the wind that is found, making room for the wet and fresh wind coming from the sea.
This gives rise to an entrance from the lower elevations to the higher ones, unlike the west.
This effect is important when planning landings in compromised places, since it is highly probable that there will be no wind at the flight level and that there will be lift at the level of the landings in the valley bottoms.
WEST
Due to the orography of the relief (north-south valleys), the west component wind is not a very useful wind for the practice of free flight.
Bear in mind that the entry of this wind is normally associated with an entry of a depression or an instability front. It usually enters from higher layers to lower layers, which has a point of delay that when facing landings gives us a bit of security; Many times a west wind is observed and its entry into the bottom of the valleys is later, however, it can lead to very dangerous situations given the adverse orography and being an overheated wind.