The foehn is a warm and dry downdraft wind between a mountain ridge and the valley. A foehn occurs mainly in the Alps and in the Alpine foothills.

 

An increase in warm air masses like the Föhn is a strain on the body. Typical complaints caused by the foehn are irritability, depression, headaches, sleep disturbances, cardiovascular disorders and cerebral apoplexy. The friction between warm foehn air and the cold, moist air near the ground creates short-wave, rapid pressure fluctuations to which the nervous system reacts sensitively.

The föhn can not only cause health and psychological complaints and aggravate existing illnesses, but also reduce performance. As a result, there is a statistical correlation between föhn and increased numbers of traffic accidents, suicide and crime.