originally defined as a very strong, cold wind that blows from the northeast onto the Adriatic region of Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. The word is from the Greek boreas, “northwind.” It is most common in winter and occurs when cold air crosses the mountains from the east and descends to the coast. It often reaches speeds of more than 100 km (60 miles) per hour and has been known to knock people down and overturn vehicles.

The name bora is given to similar winds in other parts of Europe, including Bulgaria, the Black Sea, and Novaya Zemlya in the Russian Arctic, and in the western United States along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.