Re: What types of winds are there?

Angie,

Air can move in two different ways. Vertically (up and down) and horizontally (side to side). Air moves much greater distances horizontally than vertically, and this horizontal movement is what we feel as wind.

Air moves around because of differences is atmospheric pressure. As you know, when a tire goes flat, all the air has rushed out. This happens because air flows from areas of higher pressure (inside the tire) to areas of lower pressure (outside the tire). There are different things that can cause changes in atmospheric pressure, which in turn would cause wind. Two of the main ones are 1)differences in solar heating, and 2)the earths rotation.

When the sun heats up air near the surface of the earth, the air rises. In turn, the atmospheric pressure lowers, and air moves toward that area of lower pressure. Also, the rotation of the earth causes a general air motion from west to east across the globe.

Wind occurs with just about any type of weather. Some of the most extreme examples are tornados (which are small and intense areas of low pressure), hurricanes (much larger areas of low pressure), and thunderstorms. Thunderstorm winds can be generated in reponse to both high and low pressure from the same storm. A thunderstorm forms as moist air rises, causing low pressure. Therefore wind blows into the storm near the surface of the earth. As the storm matures, rain falls and cools the air, which then sinks back to the earth. This causes high pressure, which you now know causes air to move away, generating gusty winds.

Here are a few picture examples of wind.

Thunderstorm Outflow Blowing Dust TJ Turnage

Tornado Greg Stumpf

Hurricane Wind Damage from Erin (1995) Escambia County Office of Emergency Management

Hope this helps answer your question!

Carl Morgan
NWS Wilmington, NC