Types of Wind (List)

A moving air caused by the difference in the air pressure is called wind. The movement of the wind is from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area to maintain the balance in air pressure. The more disparity in the air pressure, the faster the wind blows.

In this article, We have discussed the Types of winds in Detail.

Let’s dive right in.

Types of Winds Overview

Here is the complete overview of Types of Wind:

Classification	Description
Primary Classification
Trade Winds	Prevailing easterly winds located near the equator, moving towards the west. Common in tropical regions.
Westerlies	Prevailing westerly winds are found in the mid-latitudes, moving from west to east.
Polar Easterlies	Cold easterly winds near the poles, flowing from east to west.
Secondary Classification
Monsoons	Seasonal winds are associated with the changing monsoon seasons, bringing wet and dry periods. Common in South Asia.
Local Winds	Winds influenced by local geography, such as sea breezes, land breezes, and mountain/valley winds.
Specialized Winds
Katabatic Winds	Cold, dense air moving downslope under the influence of gravity. Common in mountainous regions.
Chinook Winds	Warm, dry winds that occur on the leeward side of a mountain range. Common in the Rockies.
Haboob	Intense dust or sandstorm carried by a gust front in arid regions, often associated with thunderstorms.
Tropical Cyclones
Hurricanes (Atlantic)	Intense tropical cyclones in the Atlantic and northeastern Pacific, with strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Typhoons (Northwest Pacific)	Strong tropical cyclones in the northwest Pacific, equivalent to hurricanes.
Cyclones (Southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean)	Intense tropical cyclones in the southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean.
Local Phenomena
Tornadoes	Violently rotating columns of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground, with destructive potential.
Dust Devils	Small, well-formed whirlwinds that are not associated with a thunderstorm, common in arid areas.

Types of Winds

Based on periodicity of occurrence and location of occurrence, the winds are classified into three categories;

• Primary Winds
• Secondary Winds
• Tertiary Winds

Primary Wind or Planetary Wind

Primary Winds are those which flow in a particular direction throughout the year. Primary winds are also known as planetary winds or prevailing winds. Primary winds are further classified into Trade winds, westerlies, and easterlies.

Secondary Wind or Seasonal Wind

Secondary winds are also known as seasonal winds and periodic winds. Secondary winds are those that change their directions in different seasons. A particular secondary wind and the force behind the wind that allows it to flow depends on the geographical location. Secondary winds occur in many locations throughout the world. One such common secondary wind is the monsoon wind.

Tertiary or Local Wind

Tertiary wind or local wind is that type of wind that blows only during a particular period of that day or a year in a smaller area. The cause of the blowing tertiary wind is the difference in the temperature and air pressure of the particular location. The tertiary or local wind can be different types, such as hot, cold, dusty, rich, and ice-filled. One typical example of this type of wind is the loo. Loo is a hot and dry wind blowing in India’s Northern plains. Other examples of local winds are Mistral, Bora, Foehn, etc.

Different Types Of Winds

Based on the above classification of winds, there are different types of winds in the atmosphere. These different types of winds blow based on their conditions and geographical locations.

Trade Winds

Trade winds are also known as the tropical easterlies. Due to the Coriolis Effect and Ferrel’s law, trade winds blow from the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. Trade winds start from the sub-tropical high-pressure areas towards the equatorial low-pressure area belt. In the Northern Hemisphere, trade winds blow as northeastern trades; in the Southern Hemisphere, trade winds blow as southeastern trades. The average speed of trade winds is between 5 and 6 meters per second, which sometimes goes as high as 13 meters per second, depending on the condition of the atmosphere.

The Westerlies

The westerlies are also known as shrieking sixties, furious fifties, and boring forties. These types of winds flow from subtropical high-pressure belts to subpolar low-pressure belts. The flow of westerlies that are from the Southern Hemisphere is more strong and constant as compared to westerlies that flow from the Northern Hemisphere. The Westerlies had a lot of impact on the ocean currents, and due to these winds, the strong Antarctic Circumpolar Current rushes around the continent at a speed of 2.5 miles an hour.

Polar Easterlies

The Polar Easterlies are the type of winds which are cold and permanently dry. The flow of polar easterlies is from the northeast to the southwest direction in the Northern Hemisphere and the southeast to the northwest in the Southern Hemisphere—the Polar Easterlies blow from high-pressure polar areas to the subpolar low. The polar easterlies are one of the five primary wind zones comprising our atmosphere’s circulatory system. They are known as wind belts.

Monsoon Winds

Monsoon winds blow in the low latitude climate and reverse their directions periodically between summers and winters. Monsoon winds usually flow from land in winter and from water to land in summer. This type of flow results in severe changes in temperature and precipitation patterns of the area, which are affected by monsoons. Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Himalayan wall create the temperature difference that forms the basis of monsoon in the Indian subcontinent. The vertical speed of the Monsoon Winds ranges between 10 to 50 meters per second.

Land Breeze and Sea Breeze

Land Breezes are the wind that flows from land to sea and has no moisture content, while Sea Breezes are the wind that flows from sea to land and carries some moisture. Land Breeze is warm and dry, contrary to Sea Breeze. Sea Breeze normally occurs during the monsoon and the spring season. The speed of the Land Breeze ranges between 5 to 8 knots, while the speed of the sea breeze ranges between 10 to 20 knots.

Mountain and Valley Breeze

In mountainous regions, the slopes get warmed up during the daytime, resulting in the flow of breeze up to the slope to fill the resulting gap; this wind flow is known as valley breeze. On the other hand, the slopes get cooled during the night, and dense air descends the valley; this wind flow is known as the mountain breeze. The speed of the mountain and the valley breeze generally ranges between 5 to 10 miles per hour.

Cause Of Wind

The air movement because of the difference in the air pressure is known as wind. But why is the difference in the air pressure created that causes wind to blow? The answer is uneven heating of two regions. The uneven heating between the land and sea and the uneven heating between the equator and pole generates the wind.

Uneven Heating Between Land And Sea

During the day, the land gets heated more quickly than the sea, and the air above the land gets warmer because of conduction. The density of the air above the land is less than the surrounding environment; thus, the warmer air rises high, creating a vacuum in its place. The cooler air from the sea rushes to fill the vacuum, and this causes the cool coastal breeze to blow.

At night, the land cools up faster than the sea, creating a temperature difference between the land and sea. The air above the sea gets warmer and rises high, which creates a vacuum, and the cool air from the surrounding fills the vacuum above the sea, thus causing the land breeze.

Uneven Heating Between the Equator And Pole

The equatorial and tropical regions (regions close to the equator) get maximum sunlight and heat up faster than the polar regions. The air in the equatorial area gets warmer and rises, thus creating a vacuum, filling this gap with the cold air from the polar regions. Because of the earth’s rotation, the direction of wind changes, and it does not flow from the north-south direction.

Factors Affecting The Movement Of Wind

The movement of the wind is in all directions and at different speeds. Generally, three factors affect the movement of the wind: Coriolis Force, pressure gradient force, and frictional force.

Coriolis Force

The rotation of the Earth deflects the movement of the wind from its original path rather than crossing the isobars at the right angle and directed by the pressure gradient force. This is known as the Coriolis force. Due to the Coriolis force, the wind in the Southern Hemisphere gets deflected towards the left side of their path, and in the Northern Hemisphere, it gets deflected towards the right side. The Coriolis Force is at its maximum at the poles and zero at the equator.

Pressure Gradient Force

Pressure Gradient Force is generated due to the difference in the horizontal pressures. This force operates from high-pressure to low-pressure areas, resulting in the movement of the wind. When the isobars are closer, the pressure gradient force is at its maximum; thus, the speed of the wind also gets fast.

Frictional Force

The frictional force is created because of the earth’s uneven surface, which affects the wind’s movement and speed. The horizontal movement of wind experiences less frictional force over the sea than on land because of unevenness.

Conclusion on Types of Wind

The classification of winds is generally based on their occurrence and periodicity. The different types of wind denote the different nature of the geographical conditions of the earth. In this article, we have gone through all the different types of wind, their nature of occurrence and their geographical place. This article also covers the nature of different types of wind and their direction, which explains their flow.

FAQs on Types of Wind

1. How is wind measured?

The wind is measured on two parameters. It is measured based on its speed and based on its direction.

2. Which are the devices to measure the wind?

There are two devices to measure the speed and direction of the wind;Anemometers: Anemometers are used in the weather stations to measure the speed of the wind. Different types of anemometers exist, such as hot wire anemometers, cup anemometers, sonic anemometers, windmill anemometers, and laser drop anemometers. Wind Vanes: Wind vanes are used to determine the direction of the wind. Wind vanes are also known as weather vanes.

3. How many types of wind are there?

The winds are classified into various categories: trade winds, westerlies, easterlies, polar westerlies, monsoon winds, land breezes and sea breezes, and mountain and valley breezes.

4. What are the major factors that affect the movement of wind?

Three major factors affect the movement of the wind. These are frictional force, pressure gradient force, and Coriolis force. And the gravitational force also affects the movement of the wind to some extent.

5. What are the different types of hot and cold winds?

The hot and the cold winds prevail in the different regions of the world and have different names according to the region. The various types of hot winds are Foehn, Loo, Chinook, Santa Ana, Harmattan, Norwester, Brickfielder, Simoom, Sirocco, and Khamsin. The various types of cold winds are Mistral, Bora, Blizzard, Levanter, Pampero, and Buran.