Where is the windiest part of the UK?

[Summer Sun]

The met office have reveled that Buteshire (western Scotland) is the UK's windiest location with an average wind speed of 14.8 knots 17.03mph

Also making the top 10 is

Carnarvonshire - 13.3 (15.30mph)

Inverness - 12.9

Argyllshire - 12.3

Anglesey - 12.3

Ross and Cromarty - 12.0

Peeblesshire - 12.0

Merionethshire - 11.6

Selkirkshire - 11.5

Perthshire - 11.5 (13.23mph)

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/wind/windest-place-in-UK

[Bottesford]

I bet with the wind having been from the east the map would be somewhat different for 2013 so far!

[Scorcher]

Yes Bottesford and I'm sure a lot map would be dark blue given the strength of that wind over the last few weeks!

[johnholmes]

I would have said that Lewick is probably the windiest for full Met office sites but somewhere in the Western Isles might beat it, nor would RAF Valley be far behind. The comments are for low level parts, Cairngorm mountain is the windiest observing site in Britain for any height I believe?

[Summer Sun]

Cairngorm mountain is the windiest observing site in Britain for any height I believe?

Yes it is a wind gust of 173 mph was recorded at Cairngorm Summit on 20th March 1986

[Terminal Moraine]

The mean annual wind speed at 0900 here over the last 30 years, at 345m and corrected to 10 m above ground level ( as I assume all the figures quoted above are ) is 14.4 mph.

January is the windiest month with a mean speed of 17.8 mph and August is the least windy with a mean speed of 11.0 mph.

The windiest month on record was February 1990 with a mean speed of 25.6 mph and the least windy was August 1984 with a mean speed of 8.4 mph.

[Bobby]

Probably the top of Ben Nevis or something?

[johnholmes]

no observing site there though since the early 1900's

[I remember Atlantic 252]

feels like here, windy as 'ell, for this time of year with prevailing winds from the east, surely southern areas windiest in UK? winter likely windiest in Scotland

[johnholmes]

feels like here, windy as 'ell, for this time of year with prevailing winds from the east, surely southern areas windiest in UK? winter likely windiest in Scotland

you obviously it would seem have never experienced a 'real' gale as they would call it in the Wester Isles of Northern Isles. Believe me Shetland would take some beating, force 9 is fairly regularly reached and storm 10 or above is not unknown almost every winter!

How often does that occur in winter in the south?

[richie3846]

Mumbles weather station is on a very exposed headland in the Bristol Channel, and picks up some very strong winds. Quite often this station will record the highest gust in an atlantic storm. When I was a lad, back in the 90s I remember going down to see the storm surge along the mumbles coast. It was a frightening experience, with the sea so agitated, thick foam was blowing onto the land, which built up to knee height. I distinctly remember a gust of 115mph recorded at the station. Remember that Swansea is a heavily populated area too, there was a lot of damage that night to property and trees. Even the brick paving at Caswell bay was ripped right out of the ground!

[Zenarcher]

Wouldn't be surprised if it was the Western Isles its windy 24/7 here even on the calmest day there's still a breeze about.

[hillbilly]

there is the local wind farm at ovenden moor been there since 1993 they are going to replace the 23 turbines with 9 much larger ones,i still cant work that out,what do i know,but they also said it is not as windy as it was when it was built ,i think someone quoted it being 15% less windy???

[Boro Snow]

yeah i agree with a lot of peope on here the western isles (outer hebrides) must take some beating, i was there in 2008 on the isle of lewis and i have never experenced wind like it, it must be also the wettest place aswell lol

[Summer Sun]

yeah i agree with a lot of peope on here the western isles (outer hebrides) must take some beating, i was there in 2008 on the isle of lewis and i have never experenced wind like it, it must be also the wettest place aswell lol

Yeah NW Scotland is unsurprisingly the wettest place in the UK

[March Blizzard]

When I first read the thread name the first place that popped into my head was Cape Wrath.

[davehsug]

Anyone who has been regularly will confidently inform you that it's the Britannia stadium in Stoke!

[Methuselah]

The first place I though of was the summit of Ben Nevis.