Whether you enjoy been blown around and are at one with the blustery elements or you would prefer the wind to calm down a little, there are some places on earth that are notoriously windy and there is no getting away from that.
Like it or loathe it, the windiest places on earth are sure to get you blown around a little.
Though ‘windy’ is defined in different ways, the following parts of the world all have a reputation for strong or never-ending winds, so let’s take a closer look at why they’ve earned this gusty label and the type of weather you’re likely to experience if you visit.
Wellington, New Zealand
New Zealand’s charming city of Wellington on the very bottom of its North Island has a reputation for being very windy, and it certainly lives up to it.
The winds known as the Roaring 40s (which means 40-50 degrees south of the equator) rip across the Pacific Ocean and are compressed by the narrow Cook Strait that lies between the North and South Islands before hitting Wellington.
The average wind speed here in Wellington is is 16/17 mph and the strongest recorded gust topped 150 mph
Wellington recognises this wind and cleverly uses it to its advantage.
Wind farms here provide green energy to the city and any emissions from cars or other sources are quickly whipped away, making the air feel really fresh.
There is occasional damage to property brought on by the wind here, but generally people embrace this weather and in a true Kiwi style just get on with it.
Commonwealth Bay, Antartica
Commonwealth Bay is an approximately 60 km wide bay which is known as one of the windiest places on the planet.
The strength of the winds here can be explained by the halfmoon form of the bay; streams of air are squeezed together and are then forced to flow faster.
The Guinness Book of World Records and National Geographic Atlas have both listed this bay in Antarctica as the windiest place on the planet. Katabatic winds in Commonwealth Bay are recorded at over 150 mph on a regular basis, and the average annual wind speed is 50 mph.
Gruissan, France
Situated on the Mediterranean coast of Southern France, Gruissan is traditionally a fishing village, the circular town is built around the former castle and is very windy indeed.
The dominant wind in Gruissan is the Tramontane, which is a super strong wind from the Northwest. Gruissan has an average of 300 days a year with winds over 18 mph.
Dodge City, Kansas
Some of America’s windiest places are in the Midwest.
Chicago has most famously been known as the Windy City however much data agrees that there are a number of U.S. towns that have stronger winds, including Dodge City, Kansas.
The average wind speed is just under 14 mph and is pretty consistent.
The winds sweeping down off the Rockies and into the Plains play a big role in this constant wind.
Patagonia, Argentina
Like New Zealand, Patagonia is affected by the Roaring 40s, particularly the cities of Punta Arenas, Chile and Rio Gallegos.
Punta Arenas is so windy that authorities have strung ropes in between some of the buildings so that people have something to hold onto during extreme gusts! 80 mph winds are common during the Southern Hemisphere summer and these wind speeds can literally blow people away.
Newfoundland, Canada
Newfoundland as a whole has the strongest winds of any Canadian province with gusts of over 30 mph recorded on an average of 47 days each year.
Generally, coastal stations have stronger winds than inland stations.
The Newfoundland hub also has the most foggy and cloudy days, and the highest amount of precipitation of any major city in Canada.
During the winter months wind chills can be a real issue with blizzards sweeping the country at -25°C.
Baku, Azerbaijan
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is known as the City of Winds, and rightly so. In ancient times the settlement that is now Baku was referred to as ‘city of pounding wind’ in Persian.
The reason for these windy labels are the two sources of Baku’s winds; cold winds blow in from the Caspian Sea, sometimes reaching 32 mph or more, and warmer winds that move overland into the city.
During the winter months the wind chills can be very cold and intense but the constant breezes blowing year round does help with Baku’s pollution problem, clearing the air for the people.
There’s nothing to impede the windy gusts in this city because Baku is 92 feet below sea level.
