Running Head: Wind Speed and Wind Rose 1

Wind Speed and Wind Rose

Honey Nhassie Marie G. Gonzaga

University of Mindanao

CHE Elective 1

ELEC 1 ( 05470)

Engr. Karlo Isagani A. Mosqueda

November 17, 2017

Wind Speed and Wind Rose 2

1. Introduction

Meteorologists study the entire atmosphere, but they devote special attention to the

troposphere because it is the layer in which weather changes take place. The troposphere is in

constant motion, with air moving in all directions (McMichael, 2003). Different techniques are

used by meteorologists for observing the wind- wind speed and direction.

1.1 Winds

Meteorologists refer horizontal air movements as local breezes, or winds, and to

largescale, relatively uniform parcels of air as air masses. Vertical-moving air columns are

called currents (McMichael, 2013).

A parcel of air moves when the pressure exerted on one side is greater than on the other;

that is, air moves in response to unbalanced forces acting on it. A force is produced by a

difference in pressure along the horizontal; it is called the pressure gradient force. This

difference in pressure, forces parcels of air toward areas of lower pressure (McMichael, 2003).

1.1.1 Observing the Wind

We have all experienced, at one time or another, the battering force of winds ripping

through a community at high speeds. The meteorologist is aware of the need to gather data

about the wind, and to anticipate if a community will be struck by destructive winds.

Wind direction and its speed can be measured and recorded accurately. Since winds

move in specific ways around high and low-pressure systems, measurements of wind speed

and direction help the meteorologist to develop an accurate picture of pressure systems and

local conditions that are affecting the developing weather pattern (McMichael, 2003).
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2. Measuring Wind Speed

Wind speed is measured by an anemometer- three cups attached to the ends of

crossbars attached to a vertical shaft (Figure 1). The cups catch the wind and rotate at a speed

proportional to that of the wind. The rotating cups, in turn, cause the vertical shaft to turn. The

wind speed is recorded by an electrical counting device located at the base of the vertical shaft.

Today, by international agreement, all wind reports are encoded and plotted on weather maps

in knots, nautical-miles per hour (McMichael, 2003).

Figure 1: A three-cup anemometer (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Common experience indicates that moving air exerts a force against objects in its path.

In fact, the force exerted by the wind is proportional to the square of its velocity. When wind

pressure (P) is expressed in pounds per square foot and its velocity (V) in knots, the formula

P=0.0053V2 describes the relationship between the force exerted by the wind and its velocity

(McMichael, 2003).

A pressure tube anemometer is a U-shaped tube containing a liquid (Figure 2). In

operation, one of its open ends is directed toward the wind. The pressure of the wind causes

the liquid in the tube to stand at various levels. The difference in the level of the liquid in the
Wind Speed and Wind Rose 4

parts of the tube is a measure of the pressure of the wind and, thus, its velocity (McMichael,

2003).

Figure 2: A pressure tube anemometer (Courtesy of School Science Lessons)

The velocity of the wind can be estimated without instruments by observing the effects

of its force on surrounding objects. A scale was developed for this purpose in 1806 by Admiral

Francis Beaufort of the British Navy. It was adopted in 1874 for international use. The Beaufort

scale Table 1 is a simplified version.

Table 1: Simplified Beaufort Scale (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Wave
Wind speed
Beauf height
What the
ort What it looks
Description sea looks
numb like on land
like
er km/ mp kt
m/s m ft
h h s

<0. Calm. Smoke

0 <1 <1 <1 Calm 0 0 Flat.
3 rises vertically.

Ripples
1- 0.3- 0.3 Wind motion
1 1-5 1-3 Light air 0.1 without
2 1.5 3 visible in smoke.
crests.
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Small
wavelets.
Crests of Wind felt on
6- 3- 1.5- 0.6
2 3-7 Light breeze 0.2 glassy exposed skin.
11 6 3.3 6
appearanc Leaves rustle.
e, not
breaking

Large
wavelets.
Crests Leaves and
12- 8- 7- 3.3-
3 Gentle breeze 0.6 2 begin to smaller twigs in
19 12 10 5.5
break; constant motion.
scattered
whitecaps

Dust and loose

11
20- 13- 5.5- Moderate bree Small paper raised.
4 - 1 3.3
28 17 8.0 ze waves. Small branches
15
begin to move.

Moderate
(1.2 m)
Branches of a
16 longer
29- 18- 8.0- moderate size
5 - Fresh breeze 2 6.6 waves.
38 24 10.8 move. Small trees
20 Some
begin to sway.
foam and
spray.

Large branches in
Large motion. Whistling
waves heard in overhead
21 10.8
39- 25- with foam wires. Umbrella
6 - - Strong breeze 3 9.9
49 30 crests and use becomes
26 13.9
some difficult. Empty
spray. plastic garbage
cans tip over.

Whole trees in
27 13.9 High wind,
50- 31- 13. Sea heaps motion. Effort
7 - - Moderate Gal 4
61 38 1 up and needed to walk
33 17.2 e, Near Gale foam against the wind.
Swaying of
Wind Speed and Wind Rose 6

begins to skyscrapers may

streak. be felt, especially
by people on
upper floors.

Moderatel
y high
waves
with
34 17.2 Twigs broken
62- 39- breaking
8 - - Fresh Gale 5.5 18 from trees. Cars
74 46 crests
40 20.7 veer on road.
forming
spindrift.
Streaks of
foam.

High
Larger branches
waves (6-
break off trees,
7 m) with
and some small
dense
trees blow over.
41 20.7 foam.
75- 47- Construction/tem
9 - - Strong Gale 7 23 Wave
88 54 porary signs and
47 24.5 crests start
barricades blow
to roll
over. Damage to
over.
circus tents and
Considera
canopies.
ble spray.

Very high
waves.
Large
patches of
foam from Trees are broken
wave off or uprooted,
crests give saplings bent and
48 24.5 the sea a deformed, poorly
89- 55- Whole Gale/S 29. white
10 - - 9 attached asphalt
102 63 torm 5
55 28.4 appearanc shingles and
e. shingles in poor
Considera condition peel off
ble roofs.
tumbling
of waves
with
heavy
impact.
Wind Speed and Wind Rose 7

Large
amounts
of
airborne
spray
reduce
visibility.

Exception
ally high
waves.
Very large
patches of
foam, Widespread
driven vegetation
before the damage. More
wind, damage to most
103 56 28.4 cover roofing surfaces,
64- 11. 37.
11 - - - Violent storm much of asphalt tiles that
72 5 7
117 63 32.6 the sea have curled up
surface. and/or fractured
Very large due to age may
amounts break away
of completely.
airborne
spray
severely
reduce
visibility.

Huge
waves. Considerable and
Sea is widespread
completel damage to
y white vegetation, a few
with foam windows broken,
11 7 6 32 Hurricane- 1 4 and spray. structural damage
12
8 3 4 .6 force 4 6 Air is to mobile homes
filled with and poorly
driving constructed sheds
spray, and barns. Debris
greatly may be hurled
reducing about.
visibility.
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3. Wind Direction

A wind vane is used to measure the direction of the surface wind (Figure 3). The arrow

of the ordinary wind vane is free to rotate about a vertical axis and points in the direction from

which the wind is coming. A wind that comes out of the west and moves toward the east is

called a west wind.

Figure 3: A wind vane (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

An anemoscope is a combined anemometer and wind vane (Figure 4). At one end this

device has a tail, which is a stream-lined vane, that indicates the wind direction and, at the other

end, a three-bladed propeller that is set spinning by the wind. The propeller acts in the same

way as a regular anemometer. At the base of the anemoscope an electrical device that is

calibrated to the propeller and tail movements produces a recording of both wind speed and

direction.
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Figure 4: The anemoscope feeds data to the recording box (Courtesy of Hanshin

Electronics Corporation)

4. Wind Rose

Records of wind readings give the meteorologist an idea of the direction of prevailing

winds in a particular locality on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis. Wind data are often

graphically presented as a diagram called a wind rose, in which statistical information

concerning the direction and speed of the wind at a particular location are conveniently

summarized.

4.1 Interpreting the Wind Rose

There are several different formats which can be used to display wind roses. These wind

roses have been constructed in the following way (based on figure 5): The percentage of calm

conditions is represented by the size of the center circle - the bigger the circle, the higher is the

frequency of calm conditions. Each branch of the rose represents wind coming from that

direction, with north to the top of the diagram. Eight directions are used. The branches are
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divided into segments of different thickness and color, which represent wind speed ranges from

that direction. Speed ranges of 10km/h are used in these wind roses. The length of each segment

within a branch is proportional to the frequency of winds blowing within the corresponding

range of speeds from that direction (Commonwealth of Australia, 2004).

Figure 5: An example of Wind Rose

5. References

McMichael, AJ. (2003). Climate change and human health. World Health Organizations

Commonwealth of Australia, Bureau of Meteorology. (2004). Wind rose, and interpreting

wind rose. Retrieved from:

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/wind/wind_rose.shtml