How do winds get their names

According to research done by Orange County historian Chris Jepsen, the first reported reference to that term comes to us in from the Anaheim Gazette. To anyone in what would become Orange County at the time, the winds seem to come out of Santa Ana Canyon, hence the name. However, having Santa Ana winds named for their city did not please the members of the Chamber of Commerce in the city of Santa Ana, and they fought for years to get the name changed.

Barber A strong wind carrying damp snow or sleet and spray that freezes upon contact with objects, especially the beard and hair. Bayamo A violent wind blowing from the land on the south coast of Cuba, especially near the Bight of Bayamo. Bentu de Soli An east wind on the coast of Sardinia. Bora A cold, northerly wind blowing from the Hungarian basin into the Adriatic Sea. Borasco A thunderstorm or violent squall, especially in the Mediterranean. Boreas A ancient Greek name for north winds.

Brickfielder : A wind from the desert in Southern Australia. Precedes the passage of a frontal zone of a low passing by. Has the same dusty character as the Harmattan. Evert Wesker, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Brisa, Briza 1. A northeast wind which blows on the coast of South America or an east wind which blows on Puerto Rico during the trade wind season. The northeast monsoon in the Philippines. Brisote The northeast trade wind when it is blowing stronger than usual on Cuba. Brubu A name for a squall in the East Indies.

Bull's Eye Squall A squall forming in fair weather, characteristic of the ocean off the coast of South Africa. It is named for the peculiar appearance of the small isolated cloud marking the top of the invisible vortex of the storm. Cape Doctor The strong southeast wind which blows on the South African coast. Caver, Kaver A gentle breeze in the Hebrides. Chinook A type of foehn wind. Refers to the warm downslope wind in the Rocky Mountains that may occur after an intense cold spell when the temperature could rise by 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit in a matter of minutes.

Also known as the Snow Eater. Weather Channel Glossary. Chubasco A violent squall with thunder and lightning, encountered during the rainy season along the west coast of Central America. Churada A severe rain squall in the Mariana Islands during the northeast monsoon. Contrastes Winds a short distance apart blowing from opposite quadrants, frequent in the spring and fall in the western Mediterranean. Cordonazo The "Lash of St. It is associated with tropical cyclones in the southeastern North Pacific Ocean.

These storms may occur from May to November, but ordinarily affect the coastal areas most severely near or after the Feast of St. Francis, October 4. Wind is air in motion. Two factors are necessary to specify wind: speed and direction. What causes the wind to blow? As the sun warms the Earth's surface, the atmosphere warms too. Some parts of the Earth receive direct rays from the sun all year and are always warm. Other places receive indirect rays, so the climate is colder. Warm air, which weighs less than cold air, rises.

Then cool air moves in and replaces the rising warm air. This movement of air is what makes the wind blow. What is a windstorm?

A windstorm is just a storm with high winds or violent gusts but little or no rain. What is a gust front? A gust front is the leading edge of cool air rushing down and out from a thunderstorm. There are two main reasons why the air flows out of some thunderstorms so rapidly. The primary reason is the presence of relatively dry air in the lower atmosphere. This dry air causes some of the rain falling through it to evaporate, which cools the air.

Since cool air sinks just as warm air rises , this causes a down-rush of air that spreads out at the ground. The edge of this rapidly spreading cool pool of air is the gust front. The second reason is that the falling precipitation produces a drag on the air, forcing it downward. If the wind following the gust front is intense and damaging, the windstorm is known as a downburst. What is a downburst? A downburst is created by an area of significantly rain-cooled air that, after hitting ground level, spreads out in all directions producing strong winds.

Unlike winds in a tornado, winds in a downburst are directed outwards from the point where it hits land or water.

Dry downbursts are associated with thunderstorms with very little rain, while wet downbursts are created by thunderstorms with high amounts of rainfall. What is a derecho? A derecho is a widespread and long-lived windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms. They can produce significant damage to property and pose a serious threat life, primarily by downburst winds.

To be classified as a derecho, the path length of the storm has to be at least miles long. Neptunian winds whip at speeds up to 2, kph 1, mph. Extrasolar planets those outside our solar system have even faster winds. The extrasolar planets of 51 Pegasi have winds that blow 14, kph 9, mph!

Gone with the Loo There are dozens of names for winds that blow through specific regions. Some, like the noreasters that blow from the northeast down the East Coast, are not creatively named. Here are some others: barber : cold, moisture-laden wind that freezes on contact with hair and beards.

Coromuel : strong, warm wind that blows from afternoon to early morning through La Paz, Baja California, Mexico. The wind was named after British sailor Samuel Cromwell, whose name the locals could not pronounce. Hawk : strong, cool breeze blowing westward through Chicago from Lake Michigan. The Levant, the Mideast region in the eastern Mediterranean, does not experience the levant.

Loo : strong, hot summer wind that blows across northern India from the arid deserts to the west, and is only stopped by the arrival of the monsoon. The Loo is such a powerful ecological and cultural force that ice creams and sherbets are consumed to combat Loo-induced fatigue. November witch : hurricane-force winds that develop as cold Arctic air masses meet warm air from the Gulf over the Great Lakes.

Pembrokeshire Dangler : area where prevailing winds converge and cause a line of cold rain and snow to dangle north-south across the Irish Sea. Santa Anas : hot, dry winds that blow from the deserts and mountains of inland California to the coast. Santa Anas are often responsible for spreading Southern Californias destructive wildfires, earning them the nickname murder winds.

Siroccos carry tons of dust and sand throughout northern Africa, and contribute to wet weather as they reach Europe. Also called the West Wind Drift. The Coriolis effect makes storms swirl clockwise in the Southern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Usually, hurricanes refer to cyclones that form over the Atlantic Ocean.

High-pressure systems are usually associated with clear weather. Hurricanes are the same thing as typhoons, but usually located in the Atlantic Ocean region. Also known as the Monsoon Zone. Low-pressure systems are often associated with storms. Also called a temperate zone. Monsoon usually refers to the winds of the Indian Ocean and South Asia, which often bring heavy rains.

Also called a storm tide. Tropical storms are less powerful than cyclones and hurricanes. Typhoons are the same thing as hurricanes, but usually located in the Pacific or Indian Ocean region. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

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Erosion is the process where rocks are broken down by natural forces such as wind or water. There are two main types of erosion: chemical and physical. In physical erosion, the rock breaks down but its chemical composition remains the same, such as during a landslide or bioerosion, when plants take root and crack rocks.

Explore the process of erosion with this collection of resources. Ocean currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind Coriolis Effect , and water density.

Ocean water moves in two directions: horizontally and vertically. Horizontal movements are referred to as currents, while vertical changes are called upwellings or downwellings. Explore how ocean currents are interconnected with other systems with these resources. Weather is the state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloud cover.

It differs from climate, which is all weather conditions for a particular location averaged over about 30 years. Weather is influenced by latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography. It impacts the way people dress each day and the types of structures built. Explore weather and its impacts with this curated collection of classroom resources.

Weathering is the process of the weakening and breakdown of rocks, metals, and manmade objects. There are two main types of weathering: chemical and physical. An example of chemical weathering is acid rain. Caused mostly by the burning of fossil fuels, acid rain is a form of precipitation with high levels of sulfuric acid, which can cause erosion in the materials in which it comes in contact.

An example of physical weathering is wind blowing across the desert playas. This process causes rocks to form a specific pyramid-like shape and they are called ventifacts. Select from these resources to teach about the process of weathering in your classroom. An abiotic factor is a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment.

In a terrestrial ecosystem, examples might include temperature, light, and water. In a marine ecosystem, abiotic factors would include salinity and ocean currents. Abiotic and biotic factors work together to create a unique ecosystem. Learn more about abiotic factors with this curated resource collection.

Most people think of a blizzard as a bad snowstorm, but a winter storm must meet certain criteria to be classified as a blizzard. According to the National Weather Service, a blizzard is a weather event that includes low temperatures, wind speeds greater than 56 kilometers 35 miles per hour, and a large amount of falling or blowing snow that lowers visibility to 0. These whiteout conditions can cause car accidents and people on foot to become lost. Additionally, the colder temperatures that often follow a blizzard can put people at risk of frostbite or hypothermia.

Explore more about blizzards with this collection of resources. Use this map layer to visualize large and destructive tropical cyclones that occurred between and Wind energy is produced by the movement of air wind and converted into electricity. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students.

Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I: But when the trees bow down their heads, The wind is passing by. Age of Exploration. Beaufort scale. Coriolis effect. Fujita scale. Gulf Stream. Saffir Simpson scale. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

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