How does the wind affect oranges and mandarins?

After several days in which the temperatures were around 12 degrees in the morning today we woke up with a temperature close to 20 degrees and we are reaching 30 degrees at noon. This change in temperature is due to the westerly wind. If we notice it, why shouldn 't the oranges and mandarins in our fields notice it?

In a coastal area like Corbera the wind direction has a great influence on the changes in temperature and humidity. Changes that depending on the time of the season in which we are can be noticed more or less. We explain it to you.

Usually, in the Valencian Community, the wind comes from the east, that is to say, from the sea inland, so the temperatures and humidity are conditioned. Thus, in the summer months, when the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea ranges between 20 and 25 degrees, the sea breeze softens the temperatures and humidifies the atmosphere while in winter, with an average sea temperature of 15 degrees, it can make a mild day very cold and a cold day not extreme. It always tends to soften the temperature although the humidity makes the feeling of cold very intense.

On the contrary, if the wind blows from the west, that is to say, from the interior towards the coast, both in winter and in summer the temperatures increase and the humidity decreases, so the sensation of heat is still higher than the thermometers indicate.

The day of poniente that has marked the season of oranges and mandarins

A clear example of how the wind can influence the oranges and tangerines is what we lived on 14 May 2015. We have spoken on occasion of this day that is the living example of how one day can completely change the whole season.

This May 14th the wind blew from the west, that is, from the interior towards the coast. During those days we were already experiencing high temperatures close to 24 degrees but that day all records were exceeded on those dates. It was over 40 degrees, the temperature practically doubled in a single day.

What happened? The trees suffered from heat stress. This resulted in a lot of the fruit that was starting to grow on the trees falling to the ground. The tree did not have enough food to withstand those temperatures and had to get rid of a lot of the fruit in order to survive.