NATURE → Weather - Wind
High winds, storms, hurricanes and tornadoes can cause severe damage to buildings and infrastructue, power outages etc., and may also lead to considerable loss of life.
Background
Wind is the movement of air (viz., our atmosphere) from areas with high barametric pressure to areas of lower baramrtric pressure across the surface of our planet. This movement is effected primarily by variations in global temperature, particularly the difference in heating between the equator and the poles, coupled with the rotational spin of our planet.
Globally, winds are generally iight to moderate. The average yearly wind speed in the UK, for example, is only around 8.5 knots (16 km/hr), classed as a gentle breeze. In certain meterological circumstances, however, wind speed can increase dramatically. When wind speeds exceed 50 km/hr we have gails, when they exceed 100 km/hr we have storms and over 120 km/hr hurricanes.
An occluded mesocyclone tornado (Oklahoma, May 1999)
Source: NOAA
Wind force is measured using the Beaufort Scale
To convert knots to km/hr multiply by 1.582, so 50 knots = 93 km/hr
Orignally the Beaufort Scale had 13 divisions (0 to 12)but in the 1940's was extended
UK Storms/Hurricanes
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Seaham lighthouse in County Durham being bombarded by huge waves
Source: BBC See - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-45471580
An occluded mesocyclone tornado (Oklahoma, May 1999)
Source: NOAA