How Much Wind Would It Take?

[Backtrack]

I've got one, nice little gadget to keep in your pocket for when you're out and about.

Cool, is yours that one?

Or as a weather enthusiast, a £150 one?

[Coast]

Cool, is yours that one?

Or as a weather enthusiast, a £150 one?

No that actual model. Seems accurate and small enough for general readings on headlands etc and for calibrating my home weather station.

[coldfingers]

No that actual model. Seems accurate and small enough for general readings on headlands etc and for calibrating my home weather station.

I have seen similar to that video happen quite a few times in Bognor even in a force 9 gale. There is a particular spot where the wind comes straight of the seafront and is funnelled along the street by the only high rise building in Bognor. People come out of a relatively sheltered alleyway and step out into the full force of the wind and sadly many elderly people are caught out by the strength of the wind and land on the ground. Not just little old ladies either. I once had a shopping trolley think it was a kite at that spot. I had to talk harshly to it!

[PersianPaladin]

No that actual model. Seems accurate and small enough for general readings on headlands etc and for calibrating my home weather station.

[helen of the north]

I rather think OON was speaking generally too.........the naughty boy.

(You'll get used to his sense of humour)

just reread... lol hehe

[helen of the north]

You can't possibly say that! an 80mph gust is an extraordinarily strong powerful thing and, well, I'm not saying it didn't happen so much as saying it's almost impossible to guess wind speed.

I was actually making a witty observation about Caithness's temperatures....in the 80s....see what I did? I had a holiday in Caithness many years ago and I'll never forget the talk of Thurso being how it had reached 70º!

Nice to see Soaring Hawk post. I guess the sheltered accommodation warden fixed her internet.

it was 70 in thurso? I don't believe you. lol

I would disagree that it is impossible to guess wind speed. I've managed over the years to be able to determine roughly within 10mph what speed it is based on what happens around me after observing what happens and comparing to my local weather station or an anenometer. I'm sure most people who are interested in windspeeds have developed their own personal beaufort scale to some extent and can determine a close estimate by observing their surroundings.

[Zenarcher]

A few years ago I went outside and got blown off my feet into a fence I literally flew in the air a few feet Don't know what wind speed it was didn't have my weather station back then.

[helen of the north]

A few years ago I went outside and got blown off my feet into a fence I literally flew in the air a few feet Don't know what wind speed it was didn't have my weather station back then.

yowza! crazy stuff.

[egret]

Very much less than 120 mph. Probably half that.

Once you are unsettled by the gust (quite easy) and moving, then to gain stabiity again, you will not only need to overcome the force of the wind, but also negate the momentum of your own body relative to the ground. Moreover, once unseated, there is now no friction to stop your acceleration.

Which is why as Helen of the North observes going with the wind is more difficult to control. Get low down on all fours to lower your C of G, generate more friction with the ground and present less surface area to the wind.

If you come into contact with a stationary object, then the lower that contact is with your body, the greater the leverage force of the wind. i.e. The object acts as a fulcrum and leverages you to fall over.

You also need to consider the type of clothes you are wearing as they will act like a parachute.

ffO

ffO, yes I would agree as far as getting knocked over and bowled along ( a bit like trying to cross a fast running river with water up to your waist). I have been out in 50-60mph gusts and you have to be prepared to sit down in those gusts if you have nothing to hang on to. Spray/rain on your face in those conditions is very painful and the main fear is getting hit by flying debris.

The figures I was suggesting would be to actually get thrown a certain distance in the air - to become airborne if you like. I believe that will take a considerably stronger wind.

have

Top kite surfers managed stand up with a (small) traction kite in 50mph wind.

[Liam J]

Just out of curiosity, how much wind would be needed for it to literally sweep you off your feet and throw you?

80mph last night was very hard to walk in.

80mph hard to walk in? more like impossible, it was not 80mph, lol i was stood out in a mean of 49mph and struggling to stay up and using my house wall to steady me then i got blown right to the ground in gust of 71mph and i couldn't breathe it just took my breath away literally ....

Edited November 12, 2010 by james12

[stewfox]

The highest speeds I've recorded with my trusty hand held anemometer are means of 68 mph, gusting to around 95mph.

On each occasion I was blown over several times and the only way it was possible to read the anemometer was to hold it tightly with two hands and half stand, half crouch; even then it was shaking so much it was difficult to read it.

I reckon the highest gusts in your area last night would have been around 60 mph.

Reminds me of my first date with ex wife , who needs a restaurant I said. The things we do for weather.

Blackpool end of 1990 was blown off my feet at the pier. Wind speeds ? gust 65mph ? I weigh as much as a small pier

[Cookie]

this could be useful for those wanting to know about strong winds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8995000/8995534.stm

[Paul T]

Imagine trying to stand up on a top of a bus travelling at 80mph. quite hard i would imagine.

[stewfox]

Imagine trying to stand up on a top of a bus travelling at 80mph. quite hard i would imagine.

I have been in a wind tunnel and a constant 80mph although unpleasant isn't that bad.

What you stand on (most people would fall off a bus going at 40mph) and how the wind act is very important.

Wind isnt constant of course and comes from different sources in the real world.

[Terminal Moraine]

Wind isnt constant of course and comes from different sources in the real world.

Yes, even the slightest change in direction in a wind blowing around 60 mph is enough to unbalance you.

[Nights King]

When I was child living in High wycombe I hurt myself in the school play ground in that storm of the 80's.

Me being a silly boy on the way home from school as they closed early used to lift my coat over my head so the wind would catch it curious if i could fly and yes i certainly flew. It launched me backwards in a gust and threw me around 10 feet before i hit ground rather scared.

[stewfox]

Yes, even the slightest change in direction in a wind blowing around 60 mph is enough to unbalance you.

Eat enough bake beans and I would suggest a 5mph change in wind direction can unsettling

[Evening thunder]

I remember a few years ago on a windy evening down here with coastal gales I was by the coast with a few friends, above a steep slope down to the beach and was measuring the wind with a hand held anemometer. The strongest gust was around 58mph if I remember correctly and that blew me back a bit and caused me to crouch down.

When I was younger with less experience I used to overestimate wind speeds a bit, i.e. Thursday with a top gust of 36mph here (although ideally my anemometer should be slightly higher) I would probably have thought was 50mph or more, and Monday with 43mph I'd have assumed was around 60mph I'd have thought.

[helen of the north]

Very much less than 120 mph. Probably half that.

Once you are unsettled by the gust (quite easy) and moving, then to gain stabiity again, you will not only need to overcome the force of the wind, but also negate the momentum of your own body relative to the ground. Moreover, once unseated, there is now no friction to stop your acceleration.

Which is why as Helen of the North observes going with the wind is more difficult to control. Get low down on all fours to lower your C of G, generate more friction with the ground and present less surface area to the wind.

If you come into contact with a stationary object, then the lower that contact is with your body, the greater the leverage force of the wind. i.e. The object acts as a fulcrum and leverages you to fall over.

You also need to consider the type of clothes you are wearing as they will act like a parachute.

ffO

re the video "what not to do in high winds". I notice the video is in boulder colorado. No doubt these women got caught out in the chinook winds. fascinating winds as the temperature can rise several 10's of degrees (up to 100!) in the space of minutes. These winds can be hellishly fierce.