Wind is the movement of air in a certain direction at a specific speed. Officially, wind is measured at 10 meters above the ground. In practice, many other measurement heights are possible. Our simulations show wind (in the same way as official measurements) at 10 meters above the ground, unless otherwise mentioned.
Wind gusts indicate how turbulent the wind is. They describe the maximum speed that can be expected for short periods, which can vary greatly and be much higher than the wind speed, defined as the average wind speed (usually per hour or day). Figure 3.3A illustrates how the wind and gust forecasts are presented.
Figure 3.3A – Wind and Gust Forecast.
The wind direction is defined as the direction from which the wind blows. For example, a north wind comes from the north and blows towards the south. However, if the wind direction is represented by an arrow, the arrowhead points to the direction in which the wind is blowing. Figure 3.3B shows how wind direction is represented.
Figure 3.3B – Wind Direction Representation.
Wind speed is represented by a blue line on the graph, surrounded by blue shaded areas that illustrate the possible maximum and minimum wind speeds. Figure 3.3C below illustrates how the forecast for average, minimum, and maximum wind speeds is presented.
Figure 3.3C – Wind Speed Forecast Representation.
Wind gusts are represented by a purple cube on the graph, where the “T” bars represent the maximum and minimum speeds that can be reached. Figure 3.3D below shows how wind gusts are represented.
Figure 3.3D – Wind Gust Representation.
If the user chooses to check the hourly forecast information for each of the next 14 days, they should click the “View Hourly” button, as illustrated in Figure 3.3E below.
Figure 3.3E – Hourly Wind and Gust Forecast Button.
Clicking the “View Hourly” button directs the user to the screen shown in Figure 3.3F below, where the user will have different options for forecast dates at the top of the screen, with their respective hours displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Figure 3.3F – Hourly Wind and Gust Forecast Screen.