A
föhn or
foehn is a type of dry, warm, down-slope wind that occurs in the
lee (downwind side) of a mountain range. It is a
rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent
adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of its moisture on windward slopes (
see orographic lift). As a consequence of the different adiabatic
lapse rates of moist and dry air, the air on the leeward slopes becomes warmer than equivalent elevations on the
windward slopes. Föhn winds can raise
temperatures by as much as 14 °C (25 °F) in just a matter of minutes. Central Europe enjoys a warmer climate due to the Föhn, as moist winds off the Mediterranean Sea blow over the
Alps.