How do strong winds form

Just about every wind on Earth can be traced in cause back to the Sun. As the Sun unevenly heats the surface of the Earth, air rises and sinks, resulting in high and low regions of air pressure. As air rises, the pressure lowers and surrounding air moves in to replace it, causing wind.

The more the pressure changes over a given distance, usually the faster the wind will be. This is called pressure gradient force. If there is a large pressure difference between two points that are far away, the wind speeds will be lower than if those locations are closer together.

Most wind moves horizontally, that is across the ground. Usually, vertical winds are less than one mile per hour. Preparing Your Home for High Winds The damaging effects of windstorms can range from broken flower pots to having your roof torn off. Here are some ways you can protect your property: When high winds are predicted or imminent: Bring pets and children indoors Secure loose items like toys, lawn furniture, trash cans, garden decorations and small potted plants by moving them to a shed or garage.

Park your vehicles in a garage if the space is available. Close and latch all doors and windows. Plan ahead to avoid wind damage: Trim your tree branches , especially in cases of dead limbs or limbs that could bring down power lines or crash through windows.

Install storm shutters or other semi-permanent wind protection. Schedule a professional roof inspection. An annual inspection can help you fix small things like loose shingles before wind or rain can turn them into major problems. Check your seals and insulation. On high-wind days, drafts can blow through old, cracked weather stripping and make your home feel chilly. Keep your yard clear of loose objects and debris that could be turned into projectiles by a stray gust. Prepare an emergency kit.

High winds are a major cause of blackouts so keep an emergency kit handy with everything you need to spend hours or days without electricity. If trees come down on the roads, you could be forced to survive on the food and water you have around your house, so make sure you maintain an ample stash. Understanding Wind Chills A nice breeze is a welcome arrival on a stifling summer day, but when the thermometer drops in the winter months, wind can contribute to uncomfortable, and possibly dangerous, conditions.

Wet clothing can cause much faster heat loss. Dress in layers. Layers of loose-fitting clothing helps to insulate. Wear a hat and gloves. Stay informed. Wind and Storms Wind can cause plenty of damage on its own, but it often arrives hand-in-hand with other forms of nasty weather that can compound the danger.

Prepare your home and property for the potential hazards of high winds. Learn More. In the event of a tornado, follow these common practices. A pressure gradient is how fast atmospheric pressure changes over distance. So, when pressure changes rapidly over a small distance, the pressure gradient force is large.

Strong winds almost always result from large pressure gradients. Recently, southern Wisconsin has been under the influence of a weather pattern that has strong pressure gradients and strong winds. The Coriolis force pulls the wind to the right so that in the Northern Hemisphere winds blow counterclockwise around low pressure systems and clockwise around high pressure ones. And the bigger the difference between the pressures, the faster the air will move from the high to the low pressure.

That rush of air is the wind we experience. You might be wondering why the air would move from high pressure to low pressure in the first place.

This is something that happens in nature all the time: things always try to even out. Even people do it! When people get onto a bus, do they all sit on the same side of the bus first? Do strangers sit next to each other when there are plenty of open seats?