Wind direction

[Whickerman]

Can you help with a question regarding wind direction? This is nothing important, just want to be able to answer a pedant. This came up the other day in conversation with a workmate who sails as a hobby. He reckons, and I think he may be right, that you name a wind based on where it's going; (whereas a tide based on where it's coming from). So wind blowing from the north to the south would be southerly winds. BUT - that's the opposite to the terms used on tv weather forecasts, where this would be classed as a Northerly wind.

Who's right?

[Buenchico]

Remind me not to go out on your workmate's yacht ;-)

Simply entering 'define wind direction' in Google brings up page after page showing that he's talking utter bollox!

Chris

[stewey]

The prevailing wind is termed by the direction from which it is blowing. Thus, Nor'Wester (North Wester) is a wind blowing from the North West. A South (Or Southerly) wind in the Northern Hemispere usualy, not always, brings warmer temperatures since it is originating in the South.

[Buenchico]

PS: As a fan of Radio 4 I listen to plenty of shipping forecasts, as well as normal weather forecasts. They both use the same way of describing wind direction, based upon its source rather than where it's going to. So your workmate can't hide behind an explanation stating that yachtsmen do things differently, 'cos it just aint true!

[stewey]

The prevailing wind obviously blew away some of the letters in my words:)

[heathfield]

Even little children know that ''The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow...''. That wind isn't coming from the Sahara!

[fredpuli47]

And the Oxford English Dictionary defines 'southerly' as ' (of a wind ) coming ( nearly) from the south'. Your friend's confusion may be because, in everyday speech, we use 'southerly' to mean 'in a southward direction' , 'towards the south of something'. The first recorded use of 'southerly' for a wind from the south, therefore blowing northwards, was in the early C17.

The same applies to the other winds.

[Whickerman]

top marks to you all - thanks

[R1Geezer]

yes definately from, I'm somewhat disturbed that your mate is allowed out on his own in a boat!