A southwesterly wind that blows from the Sahara Desert across North Africa and the Mediterranean (also called 'sirocco'); variant spelling of 'ifé'.
From Arabic 'afar' or Berber origins, referring to a hot desert wind. The word traveled into European languages through Mediterranean contact and trade.
The afer wind can raise temperatures by 30 degrees in hours—entire cities have canceled work when it arrives. Ancient peoples blamed it for illnesses, mood changes, and crop failures, making it almost legendary.
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