Harmattan, << `hahr` muh TAN, >> is a cool, extremely dry wind that forms over the Sahara and blows westward or southwestward to the African coast. It blows during the dry season from December through February. The harmattan is relatively cool. It provides relief from the damp heat of the tropics. Many harmattans carry great quantities of dust from the Sahara. They sometimes deposit dust on ships off the coast.
