Live wind direction for your location or any city — current wind bearing in degrees and compass direction, wind speed, gusts, and full weather vane reading updated in real time.
Live wind-flow streamlines show which way the wind is blowing across your region, centred on your location. The moving particles trace real wind direction. Map & wind data © MapTiler & Open-Meteo.
Predicted wind direction at your location over the next 24 hours.
This online wind vane shows the current wind direction for your location or any city worldwide using live weather data. It is a complete wind direction tool that helps you quickly check which direction the wind is coming from without needing a physical wind vane or weathervane. The compass dial rotates in real time to show the live wind bearing. If you just want to know which way the wind is blowing right now, this live wind compass shows the current wind direction for your location on a 16-point wind rose, updated in real time.
Use the search box to find current wind direction in any city, or allow your browser to detect your location automatically. This live wind vane shows both degrees and compass direction, making it useful for weather awareness, sailing, aviation, outdoor planning, and understanding local wind conditions.
The wind direction display includes a rotating compass arrow and all eight compass labels — north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest — so you can understand wind direction at a glance. This makes the wind vane useful for checking wind direction right now, wind in your location, or live wind direction in any city worldwide.
For more live weather measurements, you can also use our weather station, thermometer, hygrometer, barometer, anemometer, rain gauge, and maritime weather pages.
This page detects your location and shows the current wind direction on a live wind compass and 16-point wind rose, named by the direction the wind blows from (a "westerly" comes from the west). Search any city to see its wind direction now.
A wind vane points into the wind — toward the direction the wind is coming from. That is why wind direction is always named by its source: a north wind blows from the north toward the south.
They are the same instrument. "Weather vane" (or weathervane) is the traditional name, often the decorative rooftop kind; "wind vane" is the term used for the measuring instrument on a weather station. Both show wind direction.
Definitions, how it works, types, reading wind direction, sailing & aviation uses, history.
A wind vane is a meteorological instrument used to indicate the direction from which the wind is blowing. The wind vane definition: a rotating device with a pointer or fin that freely pivots on a vertical axis, aligning itself with the wind so the arrow points toward the wind's source. Wind vane meaning in simple terms — it tells you where the wind is coming from. A wind vane is also called a weather vane, weathervane, weathercock, or anemoscope. The word "vane" comes from the Old English word fana, meaning flag.
Wind vane, weather vane, and weathervane are all names for the same instrument. Weather vane is the more traditional and popular term, especially for decorative versions mounted on buildings. Wind vane is the preferred scientific term used in meteorology and weather stations. Weathercock is an older term still used for the traditional rooster-shaped designs. All three refer to a device that measures and indicates wind direction.
A wind vane measures wind direction — the compass bearing from which the wind is originating. It expresses this as a degree value between 0° and 360° (where 0°/360° is north, 90° is east, 180° is south, 270° is west) or as a compass point (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW). What a wind vane does NOT measure is wind speed — that is the role of an anemometer. Many modern weather stations combine a wind vane and anemometer in the same unit to measure both wind direction and speed simultaneously.
A wind vane works through a simple aerodynamic principle. The vane has an asymmetric shape — a large tail fin on one end and a small narrow pointer on the other. When wind blows, it pushes against the larger surface area of the tail fin more than the pointer. This imbalance causes the vane to rotate until the tail points away from the wind and the pointer arrow faces into the wind. The pointer always indicates the direction the wind is coming FROM. So if the pointer faces north, the wind is a northerly wind — blowing from north to south.
The conventional weathervane is the oldest type, used for centuries on barns, churches, and buildings. Traditional weathervanes feature decorative shapes — the rooster (weathercock) is the most iconic, alongside arrows, horses, ships, and fish. Four horizontal arms marked N, S, E, W are placed below the rotating figure to show cardinal directions. While partly decorative, a properly mounted weathervane accurately shows wind direction. The oldest known wind vane was installed on the Tower of Winds in Athens around 48 BC.
A windsock is a cone-shaped fabric tube mounted on a pole that fills with wind to show both wind direction and approximate speed. Windsocks are standard equipment at airports and airfields because pilots need to quickly assess wind conditions before landing or taking off. The open end of the windsock points in the direction the wind is blowing toward, while the closed end faces into the wind. A fully extended, horizontal windsock indicates wind speeds of approximately 15 knots or more.
A digital wind vane uses an electronic sensor — typically a potentiometer or reed switch array — to translate the physical rotation of a wind vane into a digital signal. This allows wind direction to be displayed on a screen, logged to a data system, or transmitted to a weather station. Digital wind vanes are components of modern home and professional weather stations. This online wind vane page uses live data from digital weather station sensors worldwide to show current wind direction for any location.
Wind direction is always stated as the direction the wind is coming FROM, not where it is going to. This is a universal meteorological convention that sometimes confuses people. A "north wind" or "northerly wind" means the wind is blowing from the north — it is cold air coming down from the north moving toward the south. Here is how to read wind direction on a compass:
Wind vane uses span many fields. In meteorology and weather forecasting, wind direction is a key variable for predicting temperature, precipitation, and storm movement. Weather systems rotate around high and low pressure centres, so knowing wind direction helps forecasters identify which system is influencing an area. In sailing and marine navigation, wind vanes are mounted at the masthead to show apparent wind direction — essential for trimming sails and navigating efficiently. In aviation, wind direction is critical for runway selection, takeoff and landing procedures, and flight path calculations. In agriculture, wind direction helps farmers understand where pesticide spray will drift and when to apply treatments.
Wind vanes for sailing boats are typically lightweight masthead instruments that show apparent wind angle — the direction of the wind relative to the boat's heading, rather than the true geographic direction. Self-steering wind vane systems are mechanical autopilots used on offshore sailing boats that automatically adjust the rudder to maintain a constant angle to the wind, allowing long ocean passages without continuous hand steering. These mechanical wind vane self-steering systems are completely powered by wind energy with no electrical requirement.
The wind vane is one of the oldest meteorological instruments in history. The first recorded wind vane was installed on the Tower of Winds (Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes) in Athens around 48 BC. It featured a bronze Triton figure that rotated on a pivot to show wind direction against eight carved wind deities. In medieval Europe, weathercocks (rooster-shaped wind vanes) became widespread from the 9th century, driven partly by a Papal decree that all churches display a rooster as a symbol of vigilance. By the 17th century, wind vanes had become standard instruments in scientific weather observation. The modern digital wind vane using electronic sensors emerged in the 20th century as part of automated weather station development.
Wind direction is one of the most useful indicators for short-term weather forecasting. In the Northern Hemisphere, winds rotating clockwise (veering) generally indicate improving weather as a high pressure system approaches. Winds rotating anticlockwise (backing) suggest deteriorating conditions as a low pressure system moves in. Prevailing wind directions vary by location — western Europe experiences predominantly southwesterly winds bringing mild, wet Atlantic air; the Caribbean sees consistent trade winds from the northeast; coastal areas may experience predictable sea and land breeze patterns driven by temperature differences between land and sea.
Wind direction near you is shown live at the top of this page, updated in real time from the nearest weather observation data. The compass dial rotates to match the current wind bearing, and the reading is displayed in both degrees and compass point. Use the 📍 button to detect your location automatically, or search for any city in the world to check wind direction there. Wind direction today for your location changes throughout the day as pressure systems move and local effects like sea breezes develop.