French Riviera the weather between various locations. Strong winds such as the Mistral, a cold dry wind from the northwest or from the east, are another characteristic, particularly in the winter. Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes département are sheltered by the Alps. The winds are usually gentle, from the sea to the land, though sometimes the mistral blows strongly from the northwest, or, turned by the mountains, from the east. In 1956 a mistral from the northwest reached at Nice Airport. Sometimes, in summer, the sirocco brings high temperatures and reddish desert sand from the Sahara. (See Winds of Provence.) Rain can be
USS Zephyr Deepwater Horizon oil rig fire. "Zephyr" was transferred back to the Navy on 30 September 2011, and is once again designated PC-8. USS Zephyr USS "Zephyr" (PC-8) is a "Cyclone" class patrol coastal ship in the United States Navy. "Zephyr" is the eighth ship of thirteen in the "Cyclone"-class. All ships in this class are named after weather elements. "Zephyr" is the first Navy vessel to bear the name. She was laid down 6 March 1993, by Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana and launched 3 December 1993. She was commissioned on 14 October 1994 and decommissioned 1 October 2004 and transferred