Wind Facts , Amazing Weather Facts

Many existing models and new ones now coming out reach well over 400 feet high, with higher towers and extra-long blades designed to turn the generator in less-than-ideal sites.

An average wind speed of 14mph is required to convert wind energy into electricity.

The largest wind turbine in the world is in Hawaii. It stands 20 storeys high and has rotors the length of a football field.

Wind is the fastest growing energy source worldwide.

In 200BC people in China and the Middle East used windmills to pump water and grind grain.

There is evidence that wind energy was used to propel boats along the Nile as early as 5000BC.

The windiest place in the world is Port Martin, Antarctica, which has an average wind speed over a year of 64 km/h (40 mph). It experiences gale force 8 winds for over a hundred days a year!

The most violent tornado in recorded history struck on 18 March 1925, killing 689 people, injuring 1980 others, destroying 4 towns, severely damaging 6 others and leaving 11,000 homeless across Missouri, Indiana and Illinois.

The fastest winds on earth are inside a tornado funnel. Winds here have been recorded at 480 km/h (300 mph).

The Australian wind record goes to Mardie in Western Australia, when winds gusted to 259 km/h (162 mph) during Cyclone "Trixie" on 19 February 1975.

This movement of air is what makes the wind blow.

A cold front brought strong and gusty winds to the Great Basin and the Southern Plateau Region, with wind gusts to 44 mph reported at Kingman AZ.

The hurricane which hit Miami FL on the 18th, pounded Pensacola FL with wind gusts to 152 mph. Winds raged in excess of 100 mph for four hours, and above 75 mph for 20 hours.

Wet air is lighter than dry air.

Then cool air moves in and replaces the rising warm air.

Thunderstorms produced high winds in eastern Colorado, with gusts to 63 mph reported at La Junta.

Warm air, which weighs less than cool air, rises.

The strongest wind gust recorded on the surface of the earth is 371km/h (231 mph) at Mount Washington, New Hampshire (USA) on 12 April 1934.