Continent Wise Classification and Distribution of Local Winds
Local winds are small scale convective winds of local origin caused by temperature differences. Local terrain has a very strong influence on local winds, and the more varied the terrain, the greater the influence. These occur on a small spatial scale, their horizontal dimensions typically several tens to a few hundreds of kilometers. They also tend to be short-lived lasting typically several hours to a day. There are many such winds around the world.
Most common local winds are sea breezes and land breezes, Anabatic and katabatic winds, and Foehn winds.
Most common local winds are sea breezes and land breezes, Anabatic and katabatic winds, and Foehn winds.
Land Breezes and Sea Breezes: As the names suggest, the two breezes occur along coastal areas or areas with adjacent large water bodies. Water and land have different heating abilities. Water takes a bit more time to warm up and is able to retain the heat longer than land does.
Now let us see the following Diagram -
Land Breeze: It's a coastal breeze blowing at night from land to sea, caused by the difference in the rate of cooling of their respective surfaces. In the night, the land quickly loses its' heat while the water retains its’ warmth. This means the air over the water is warmer, less dense and begins to rise. Low pressure is created over the water.
Cold and dense air over the land begins to move to the water surface to replace the warmer rising air. The cool breeze from the land is called a land breeze.
Sea Breeze: When the sun is up in day, the land heats up very quickly and the air above it warms up. The warm air over the land is less dense and begins to rise. Low pressure is created.
The air pressure over the water is higher with cold dense air, which moves to occupy the space created over the land. The cool air that comes along is called a sea breeze.
Anabatic and Katabatic Winds: In a similar behavior as land and sea breezes, mountains and surrounding valleys also have breezes called Mountain and Valley Breezes or Anabatic and Katabatic Winds.
Now let us see the following Diagram -
Anabatic Wind: This wind is caused by thermal (heat) processes. Anabatic (upslope) winds occur over slopes which are heated by the sun. Air which is in contact with slopes that are warmed expands upward and cool and sinks over neighbouring valleys (see diagram). Anabatic winds are usually slow, at only 1-2m/s and are rarely importance expect near coasts where they can increase the strength of sea breezes.
Katabatic Winds: Katabatic (downslope) winds occur over slopes which are cooled. Katabatic winds occur where air in contact with sloping ground is colder than air at the same level away from the hillside over the valley (see diagram below). Katabatic winds are nocturnal phenomena in most parts of the world (i.e. they tend to happen at night) as there is surface cooling, especially when there is little katabatic cloud and due to lack of heating by the sun. Katabatic wind speeds do not typically not exceed 3 or 4 m/s. However, where the ground is covered with snow or ice, katabatic winds can occur at any time of day or night with speeds often reaching 10 m/s, or even more if funnelling through narrow valleys occurs. Katabatic winds may lead to the formation of frost, mist and fog in valleys.
As well as local winds and local weather phenomena, the following list includes seasonal winds with local names:
01. Chinook: A warm, westerly wind found in western North America – Canada and the USA, when air from the Pacific blows over the Rocky Mountains and other upland areas.
02. Blizzards: Nor'easter blizzards is a macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada; it gets its name from the direction the wind is coming from.
03. Norther: This name for a wind is used in more than one place. It usually occurs in winter but occasionally occurs at other times of year. Typically, it can be identified by falling air pressure, a cloudy or overcast sky, good visibility and water levels below normal along the coast.
04. Norte: The Norte is a strong cold northeasterly wind which blows in Mexico along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. It results from an outbreak of cold air from the north.
01. Pampero: The name given to severe line squalls in Argentina and Uruguay, particularly in the Rio de la Plata area. They are associated with marked cold fronts and are usually accompanied by rain, thunder and lightning, a sharp drop in temperature and a sudden change of wind direction from northerly or northwesterly to southerly or south-westerly.
01. Bora: The bora is a strong, cold and gusty north-easterly wind which descends to the Adriatic Sea from the Dinaric Alps, the mountains behind the Dalmatian coast (the coast of Croatia). It is a winter phenomenon that develops when a slow-moving depression is centred over the Plain of Hungary and western Balkans so that winds are blowing from the east towards the Dinaric Alps.
02. Etesians: The Etesians / Meltemi is the strong northerly winds which blow at times over the Aegean Sea and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea during the period May to October. The winds are known as meltemi in Turkey.
03. Föhn: The Föhn (or foehn) is a warm, dry, gusty wind which occurs over the lower slopes on the lee side (the side which is not directly exposed to wind and weather) of a mountain barrier. It is a result of forcing stable air over a mountain barrier.
04. Helm: An easterly wind found in Cumbria, N. England, where the winds blow over Cross Fell and then descend into the Eden Valley. A bank of cloud forms over the hill tops, and the roaring of the wind can be heard as far away as Penrith.
05. Levant / Levanter: A moist wind which blows from the east over the Strait of Gibraltar. It is frequently accompanied by haze or fog and may occur at any time of year, though it is most common in the period June to October. A feature is the occurrence of a ‘banner cloud’ extending a kilometre or more downwind from the summit of the Rock of Gibraltar.
06. Mistral: The mistral is also a strong and often violent wind. It blows from the north or north-west down the Rhône Valley of southern France and across the Rhône Delta to the Golfe du Lion and sometimes beyond. Though strongest and most frequent in winter, it may blow at any time of year and develops when stable air is forced through the Rhône Valley. It occurs when a depression is centred over north-west Italy and the Ligurian Sea and a ridge of high pressure extends north-eastward across the Bay of Biscay.
01. Scirocco/ Sirocco: A hot, dry wind southerly wind which blows from the Sahara in northern Africa into the southern Mediterranean. It picks up moisture as it crosses the Mediterranean and can reach Spain, France, Italy and Greece bringing Saharan dust and hot, windy, damp weather, often with fog or low stratus cloud. In spring, the Sirocco can bring gale force winds. There are many local names for the Sirocco, including chom, arifi, Simoom, Ghibli, Chili, Khamsin, Solano, Leveche, Marin and Jugo.
02. Khamsin: A hot, dry, dust-laden, southerly wind over Egypt, the Red Sea and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea ahead of eastward-moving depressions. It occurs during the period February to June, being most frequent in March and April. The Khamsin is a Sirocco wind, whose name comes from the Arabic word for ‘fifty’, which is approximately the length of time the wind blows for.
03. Harmattan: A dry and comparatively cool wind which blows from the east or north-east on the coast of North Africa between Cabo Verde and the Gulf of Guinea during the dry season (November to March). It brings dust and sand from the Sahara Desert, often in sufficient quantity to form a thick haze which hinders navigation on rivers. Dust and sand are sometimes carried many hundreds of kilometers out to sea.
04. Berg: Berg wind (from Afrikaans berg "mountain" + wind "wind", i.e. mountain wind) is the South African name for a foehn wind, a hot dry wind blowing from the mountainous interior to the coast. It is strongest in the western portion of the continent. These usually occur in winter in South Africa. Berg winds blow from the Kalahari High to a coastal low-pressure area.
05. Haboob: A haboob is a type of intense dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current. They have been observed in the Sahara desert (typically Sudan, where they were named and described), as well as across the Arabian Peninsula, throughout Kuwait, and in the most arid regions of Iraq. African haboobs result from the northward summer shift of the inter-tropical front into North Africa, bringing moisture from the Gulf of Guinea. It lacks a specific direction.
01. Buran: The Buran (Turkish: Boran), is a wind which blows across eastern Asia, specifically Xinjiang, Siberia, and Kazakhstan. The Buran takes two forms: In summer, it is a hot, dry, wind, whipping up sandstorms; in winter, it is bitterly cold and often accompanied by blizzards. Buran winds are strong and full of ice and snow. The sky is often laden with snow which swirls about and reduces the visibility to near zero at times. Over the tundra it is also known as Purga. In Alaska this severe north-easterly wind is known as Purga bringing snow and ice pellets. The Russian Space Programme has named a class of rocket after the Buran.
Now let us see the following Diagram -
Anabatic Wind: This wind is caused by thermal (heat) processes. Anabatic (upslope) winds occur over slopes which are heated by the sun. Air which is in contact with slopes that are warmed expands upward and cool and sinks over neighbouring valleys (see diagram). Anabatic winds are usually slow, at only 1-2m/s and are rarely importance expect near coasts where they can increase the strength of sea breezes.
Katabatic Winds: Katabatic (downslope) winds occur over slopes which are cooled. Katabatic winds occur where air in contact with sloping ground is colder than air at the same level away from the hillside over the valley (see diagram below). Katabatic winds are nocturnal phenomena in most parts of the world (i.e. they tend to happen at night) as there is surface cooling, especially when there is little katabatic cloud and due to lack of heating by the sun. Katabatic wind speeds do not typically not exceed 3 or 4 m/s. However, where the ground is covered with snow or ice, katabatic winds can occur at any time of day or night with speeds often reaching 10 m/s, or even more if funnelling through narrow valleys occurs. Katabatic winds may lead to the formation of frost, mist and fog in valleys.
As well as local winds and local weather phenomena, the following list includes seasonal winds with local names:
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| Distribution of Local Winds over the Globe Map |
Local Winds
and
Local Wind Map of North America
02. Blizzards: Nor'easter blizzards is a macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada; it gets its name from the direction the wind is coming from.
03. Norther: This name for a wind is used in more than one place. It usually occurs in winter but occasionally occurs at other times of year. Typically, it can be identified by falling air pressure, a cloudy or overcast sky, good visibility and water levels below normal along the coast.
04. Norte: The Norte is a strong cold northeasterly wind which blows in Mexico along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. It results from an outbreak of cold air from the north.
Local Winds
and
Local Wind Map of South America
01. Pampero: The name given to severe line squalls in Argentina and Uruguay, particularly in the Rio de la Plata area. They are associated with marked cold fronts and are usually accompanied by rain, thunder and lightning, a sharp drop in temperature and a sudden change of wind direction from northerly or northwesterly to southerly or south-westerly.
Local Winds
and
Local Wind Map of Europe
01. Bora: The bora is a strong, cold and gusty north-easterly wind which descends to the Adriatic Sea from the Dinaric Alps, the mountains behind the Dalmatian coast (the coast of Croatia). It is a winter phenomenon that develops when a slow-moving depression is centred over the Plain of Hungary and western Balkans so that winds are blowing from the east towards the Dinaric Alps.
02. Etesians: The Etesians / Meltemi is the strong northerly winds which blow at times over the Aegean Sea and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea during the period May to October. The winds are known as meltemi in Turkey.
03. Föhn: The Föhn (or foehn) is a warm, dry, gusty wind which occurs over the lower slopes on the lee side (the side which is not directly exposed to wind and weather) of a mountain barrier. It is a result of forcing stable air over a mountain barrier.
04. Helm: An easterly wind found in Cumbria, N. England, where the winds blow over Cross Fell and then descend into the Eden Valley. A bank of cloud forms over the hill tops, and the roaring of the wind can be heard as far away as Penrith.
05. Levant / Levanter: A moist wind which blows from the east over the Strait of Gibraltar. It is frequently accompanied by haze or fog and may occur at any time of year, though it is most common in the period June to October. A feature is the occurrence of a ‘banner cloud’ extending a kilometre or more downwind from the summit of the Rock of Gibraltar.
06. Mistral: The mistral is also a strong and often violent wind. It blows from the north or north-west down the Rhône Valley of southern France and across the Rhône Delta to the Golfe du Lion and sometimes beyond. Though strongest and most frequent in winter, it may blow at any time of year and develops when stable air is forced through the Rhône Valley. It occurs when a depression is centred over north-west Italy and the Ligurian Sea and a ridge of high pressure extends north-eastward across the Bay of Biscay.
Local Winds
and
Local Wind Map of Africa
01. Scirocco/ Sirocco: A hot, dry wind southerly wind which blows from the Sahara in northern Africa into the southern Mediterranean. It picks up moisture as it crosses the Mediterranean and can reach Spain, France, Italy and Greece bringing Saharan dust and hot, windy, damp weather, often with fog or low stratus cloud. In spring, the Sirocco can bring gale force winds. There are many local names for the Sirocco, including chom, arifi, Simoom, Ghibli, Chili, Khamsin, Solano, Leveche, Marin and Jugo.
02. Khamsin: A hot, dry, dust-laden, southerly wind over Egypt, the Red Sea and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea ahead of eastward-moving depressions. It occurs during the period February to June, being most frequent in March and April. The Khamsin is a Sirocco wind, whose name comes from the Arabic word for ‘fifty’, which is approximately the length of time the wind blows for.
03. Harmattan: A dry and comparatively cool wind which blows from the east or north-east on the coast of North Africa between Cabo Verde and the Gulf of Guinea during the dry season (November to March). It brings dust and sand from the Sahara Desert, often in sufficient quantity to form a thick haze which hinders navigation on rivers. Dust and sand are sometimes carried many hundreds of kilometers out to sea.
04. Berg: Berg wind (from Afrikaans berg "mountain" + wind "wind", i.e. mountain wind) is the South African name for a foehn wind, a hot dry wind blowing from the mountainous interior to the coast. It is strongest in the western portion of the continent. These usually occur in winter in South Africa. Berg winds blow from the Kalahari High to a coastal low-pressure area.
05. Haboob: A haboob is a type of intense dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current. They have been observed in the Sahara desert (typically Sudan, where they were named and described), as well as across the Arabian Peninsula, throughout Kuwait, and in the most arid regions of Iraq. African haboobs result from the northward summer shift of the inter-tropical front into North Africa, bringing moisture from the Gulf of Guinea. It lacks a specific direction.
Local Winds
and
Local Wind Map of Asia
02. Karaburan: A violent northeast wind of Central Asia occurring during spring and summer; it carries clouds of dust (which darken the sky) instead of snow. Also known as black buran; black storm.
Local Winds
and
Local Wind Map of Australia
01. Southerly: Southerly-buster is the name given to the violent squalls which are associated with well-defined active cold fronts over coastal regions of southern and south-eastern Australia. They are accompanied by lightning, thunder and gale-force winds and are similar to pamperos. They are most frequent in summer but may also occur in spring and autumn.
02. Brickfielder: The Brickfielder is a strong, hot, dry and dusty wind in southern Australia. The Brickfielder usually occurs during summer and is mainly affecting southeast Australia's states of Victoria and New South Wales. The Brickfielder is associated with the passage of a frontal zone of a low pressure.
Please, comment remaining (not published in this post) local winds with info. I'll keep updating maps and post.
Resources:
1. http://www.metlink.org/other-weather/weather-hazards/local-winds/
2. http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/wind/
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Was it Helpful? If yes please share in your social group because in this era of internet sharing is caring. Thanks!
You can use above maps for your own projects. I'll be grateful if you mention a link back!!
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