Then, at 1:21 pm on April 12, 1934, the extreme value of 231 mph out of the southeast was recorded. This would prove to be the highest natural surface wind velocity ever officially recorded by means of an anemometer, anywhere in the world.
The good news is that 500 mph winds are rare. The strongest hurricanes have wind speeds around 200 mph with gusts up to 250.
Usually, in weather observations, a wind speed that rounds off to zero is reported as "Calm," and that way no direction is given. However, it is possible for wind speed to be very slight, say one third of a mile per hour.
The highest (non-tornadic) wind speed ever recorded was observed in Tropical Cyclone Olivia (1996). As it passed over Barrow Island, an anemometer recorded a wind gust of 408 km/h.
Coastal regions with high wind resources (wind speeds above 7.5m/s) include the west coast south of Shark Bay to Cape Leeuwin, along the Great Australian Bight and the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, to western Victoria and the west coast of Tasmania.
Commonwealth Bay, Antartica
The Guinness Book of World Records and National Geographic Atlas have both listed this bay in Antarctica as the windiest place on the planet. Katabatic winds in Commonwealth Bay are recorded at over 150 mph on a regular basis, and the average annual wind speed is 50 mph.
"Damaging high wind" with sustained speeds greater than 58 mph, or frequent wind gusts greater than 58 mph. Damaging wind conditions are consistent with a high wind warning. "A High Threat to Life and Property from High Wind." "High wind" with sustained speeds of 40 to 57 mph.
During dry conditions - for forest, grassland, or agricultural burns - it is highly discouraged to burn when the wind exceeds 5 mph. Intense, out-of-control wildfires can happen quickly.
The rotation of the Earth and its uneven heating by the sun also contribute to the formation of high-altitude jet streams. These strong, fast winds in the upper atmosphere can blow 480 kph (298 mph).
Hypercanes would have wind speeds of over 800 kilometres per hour (500 mph), potentially gusting to 970 km/h (600 mph), and would also have a central pressure of less than 700 hectopascals (20.67 inHg), giving them an enormous lifespan of at least several weeks.
From 42 degrees north to 42 degrees south (latitude), a 1000 mph wind would decimate all structures, unless they are underground, or nuclear hardened. Buildings, from sheds to skyscrapers, would be smashed flat, torn from their foundations, and sent tumbling across the landscape.
Simulations using a convection-resolving nonhydrostatic, axisymmetric numerical model show that hypercanes can indeed develop when the sea surface temperature is high, and that they inject large amounts of mass into the stratosphere.
The most intense storm in the Eastern Pacific Ocean by both sustained winds and central pressure was Hurricane Patricia. Its sustained winds of 345 km/h (215 mph) are also the highest on record globally. Storms with a minimum central pressure of 925 hPa (27.32 inHg) or less are listed.
With this in mind, horizontal winds (also known as “crosswinds”) in excess of 30-35 kts (about 34-40 mph) are generally prohibitive of take-off and landing.
While the plane is sitting still on the runway, it has a ground speed of 0 and an airspeed of 20 mph. If the plane took off to the West it would have a 20 mph tail wind (wind at your back). This gives a negative wind speed.
Simple as that! Aircraft are designed to be able to fly in stronger winds than you may think, and although landings can seem scary in these conditions, they are not. Aircraft land into the wind, as this allows the aircraft to slow down and eventually stop on the runway.
Wind is the main agent of sand dune formation. A wind speed as low as 5 metres per second (about 16km/hr, 10mph) can lift sand grains from a bare surface and start them moving.
30 to 39 km/h Small trees start to sway. 40 to 50 km/h Strong enough to break umbrellas and move large tree branches. 51 to 62 km/h Walking will be tough.
Australia is the sunniest and one of the windiest continents in the world, with enough renewable energy potential to power ourselves hundreds of times over.