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Table of Contents
Wind is a pool of moving air and is strong enough to be felt. This is caused by the differences of air pressure in the atmosphere. This is the reason why kites fly in the sky, how hot air balloons move around while in the air, and how boats move on water using their sails.
See the fact file below for more information on the wind or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Wind worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
How do winds happen?
- Winds happen due to the differences of up/down (vertical) and left/right (horizontal) pressures present in the atmosphere.
- Winds can be classified according to their strength which are breeze, gale, storm, or hurricane.
- During the day, the ground heats up due to the radiation given off by the sun and this causes the wind to be generally stronger and more gusty.
- At night, the winds became lighter, breezier, and less gusty compared to during the day.
Breeze
- A breeze is a light wind which gives a soothing feeling.
- Sea breeze, also called an onshore breeze, is a type of wind that blows from a large body of water to a landmass. This is due to the differences in air pressure caused by different heat capabilities the water and dry land produce.
- A land breeze, also called an offshore breeze, blows from dry land towards the sea.
Gale
- This is a strong wind and is usually used in nautical navigation.
- Gales are measured using the Beaufort Scale.
- It is generally a storm at sea.
Storm
- This is a disturbance of the atmosphere.
- A storm comes with strong winds and heavy rainfall, snow, hail, or lightning/thunder.
- A thunderstorm is accompanied by thick clouds, heavy rain or hail, lightning, thunder, and strong winds.
Wind
- A cyclone is a large spiral-like system of winds that blow in a central area.
- Windstorms are dry storms accompanied by strong winds with a speed of 73 miles (117 kilometers) an hour or more, and they bring no rain or snow.
- Local winds
- This is the ordinary wind that you experience everyday.
- This wind is caused by different temperatures and pressure over various landforms such as mountains, hills, and plains during the day and night.
- This wind determines the weather and the speed of local winds varies from mild to strong.
- The intensity of this wind can only be felt over short distances.
- Land, sea, valley, and mountain breezes are common examples.
- Monsoon winds
- These winds are seasonally experienced in Southern Asia.
- These winds bring heavy downpours to affected regions.
- This wind blows from southwest during the summer.
- This wind blows from northeast during winter.
- Tropical regions, like the Philippines, experience this type of wind for many months, which brings heavy rains.
- Trade winds
- Trade winds are easterly surface winds very dominant in the tropics in the direction of the Earth’s equator.
- The wind blows from the southeast region in the southern hemisphere and from the northeast in the northern hemisphere.
- These winds steer the direction of tropical cyclones that develop from the oceans.
- They also direct the African dust across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, which leads westward.
- Westerlies
- They occur in middle-latitude areas within 35-65 degrees.
- They blow from west to east and they help in determining the direction of cyclones travelling in the same direction.
- The winds come from the northeast area of the southern hemisphere and from the southwest area of the northern hemisphere.
- They are very powerful during the winter season because the pressure is lower in the poles and are very weak in summers because the poles’ pressure is higher.
- Westerlies create strong ocean currents on the western side of the northern and southern hemisphere. These ocean currents are used by sailing ships for navigation across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
- The westerlies are considered to be strong in the southern hemisphere because there is less land which enhances the wind flow – land causes the wind to slow down.
- It acts as an important force in carrying warm equatorial waters and winds to the western coasts of continents, especially in the southern hemisphere because of the huge bodies of water.
- Doldrums
- Doldrums are a cluster of light winds that occur in the northern and southern trade winds of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
- They occur in very low-pressure areas around the equator where calm winds are mostly experienced.
- Doldrums are a result of the sun’s constant radiation on Earth.
- Polar Easterlies
- This wind is also called the Polar Hadley Cell.
- This wind is cold and dry and comes from the high-temperature areas in the south and north poles.
- This wind moves toward the low-pressure regions within the westerlies at areas near the arctic and Antarctic circle.
- They blow from east to west.
- They are generally irregular and weak in nature.
- Due to the low angle of the sun in the polar areas, cold air builds up and remains at the poles and this results to the formation of surface high-pressure areas.
How do we measure wind?
- An anemometer is a device used to measure wind speed.
- A wind vane is a device that determines the direction of the wind and is usually used as an ornament that is placed on top of a building.
- The Beaufort scale is an empirical scale that explains wind speed and observed conditions at sea or land.
What is the importance of wind?
- It makes some sports and recreational activities possible, such as kiteboarding, windsurfing, sailing, and paragliding.
- It makes photosynthesis occur faster and more apparent due to the increase of carbon dioxide.
- It helps the spreading of plants through migration.
- It helps in plant reproduction through pollination.
- It is a good fuel and energy source.
- Wind energy doesn’t pollute or infiltrate air.
- Wind turbines don’t produce atmospheric emissions that generate greenhouse gases, acid rains, etc.
- It is cost effective and the cheapest source of electrical energy.
Wind Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about wind across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Wind worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the wind which is a pool of moving air and is strong enough to be felt. This is caused by the differences of air pressure in the atmosphere. This is the reason why kites fly in the sky, how hot air balloons move around while in the air, and how boats move on water using their sails.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Wind Facts
- Gush of Words
- Match the Meaning
- Storm Search
- Breeze Comparison
- Wind or Lose
- Sorting Winds
- Measuring Matters
- Wind’s Purpose
- Wind Power Benefits
- Anti-Pollution Reminders
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Link will appear as Wind Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 25, 2019
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.