Live wind speed for your location or any city worldwide — gusts, the Beaufort scale, a 24-hour trend chart, a 24-hour forecast, and a live wind map, alongside direction and temperature.
What's the difference between sustained wind and gusts?
Sustained wind speed is typically averaged over 10 minutes and describes the steady flow. Gusts are brief spikes, often lasting only a few seconds, and can run considerably higher than the sustained figure — the gap between the two is itself a useful signal of how turbulent conditions are.
What is the Beaufort scale?
The Beaufort scale is a 13-step scale (Force 0 to 12) that relates wind speed to observable effects — from calm smoke rising vertically at Force 0 to widespread structural damage at Force 12 — originally developed for sailors to estimate wind without an instrument.
At what speed does wind become dangerous?
Sustained winds above roughly 50–75 km/h (Beaufort 7–9) start to make walking and driving difficult and can cause minor structural damage. Gusts above 90 km/h are commonly used as a threshold for severe weather warnings in many countries.
Why is wind measured at 10 metres height?
Wind speed increases with height above the ground because surface friction slows the air closest to it. Ten metres is the international standard height for official measurements, which is why this page — and most weather services — report wind speed adjusted to that reference height.
Current Wind Speed Near Me and Worldwide
This page shows live wind speed for your location or any city worldwide, along with gusts, direction and the Beaufort scale classification — plus a 24-hour history chart, a 24-hour forecast, and a live animated wind map.
Wind Speed Units
Wind speed is reported in different units depending on country and application: kilometres per hour (km/h) for most public forecasts, miles per hour (mph) in the US and UK, metres per second (m/s) as the scientific standard, and knots in aviation and maritime navigation, where 1 knot equals 1.852 km/h.
Reading the Trend Chart and Forecast
The chart plots the last 24 hours of wind speed so you can see whether conditions have been building or easing. The forecast strip extends the same model forward to +24 hours — useful for sailors, cyclists, and anyone planning an outdoor activity that depends on calm conditions.
The Beaufort Scale in Practice
Developed for sailors long before instruments were common, the Beaufort scale relates wind speed to observable effects on smoke, trees, waves and structures. The full 13-force table above lets you translate a raw km/h or mph figure into a practical sense of what that wind actually looks and feels like outdoors.
Wind Speed in Major Cities
Check current wind speed in cities such as London, Chicago — famously "The Windy City" — Wellington, and Sydney, or search any location above.